i was 22, working and living in manhattan. i used an iud for birth control, but kept getting infections so my doctor took it out and gave me a prescription for a diaphragm. i had close ties to my college friends back in ohio, including a man i'd been in love with.

when i was 32 i landed an expat job for a 2 year stint in australia. a single woman living in a foreign country an ocean away from friends and family can get lonely. i was on the pill, however the crazy schedule i was working, caused me to miss doses here and there. so when i ended up pregnant after a brief affair, i went looking right away for options.

i grew up in a very emotionally unhealthy family, i didn't know about personal boundaries or that i could say no, stop.

my birth control failed after taking two rounds of antibiotics. my boyfriend and i were on the verge of breaking up and were in a horrible relationship where neither of us felt respected or fulfilled.

when i was 18 i went through a bit of a rough patch, and did not have access to my birth control. i ended up becoming pregnant for the first time. as soon as i told my much older then-boyfriend, he skipped town and i never saw him again.

i am a 22 year old woman. i had an abortion - recently. it was the best choice i have ever made, although painful.