19 And Scared.

It all started in August of 2019. My bf and I had just hit 11 months of being together, and I wasn't on birth control. I've always asked if I could get on it, but my parents would freak out and say "No, it’s only meant for sex." (which I know isn't true). But I wasn't on birth control. Anytime we had sex, it was either protected or not. And sometime in July, right as soon as my period ended, we had sex. We thought we were safe, but turns out we were in for a surprise.

August 31st rolled around, and I still hadn't seen anything to indicate I was getting my period, BUT I was feeling very nauseous and tired. I never missed a period before. So after being in denial that I could possibly be pregnant, my bf and I went to the store and got a test. And there was the word I never wanted to see, “pregnant," it read, and I bawled.

Exactly one week later, I ended up at Planned Parenthood. My bf and I are two broke college students just trying to get by. We both knew we couldn't give this child a happy life right now. We didn't even live with each other, and we work all the time. I just knew it wasn't possible for us.

That appointment.was scary. I chose to do the pill for an abortion, but I was so scared. I had no idea what to expect. I read so much on the internet about it and heard so many different things. But I wanted to be at home, so the pill it was.

Pretty easy process, I was in and out within 40 minutes. She checked me in, I gave blood, gave urine, and also got an ultrasound. Which was when I found out I was 7 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I didn't look at the screen, I just couldn't.

I took the first pill and felt fine the rest of the day. I picked up my prescriptions for the next day and was just waiting. The next day came around, and I followed all the instructions the woman gave me. I took my meds, and then I took my second pill, and let me tell you, it hit within 10 minutes after I swallowed them.

I instantly threw up, and my stomach hurt so much. After 5 minutes of throwing up, I was bleeding. The next 6 hours I spent sleeping next to my bf and going to the bathroom. Probably 2 hours of being on that pill I heard the plop. Instant relief, but I still felt terrible.

I bled for another couple of hours, but by nighttime, it slowed down, and the cramps weren't as bad. This experience wasn't easy, and I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone who can’t tolerate pain for a few hours. But this will also be an experience I will never forget.

I never thought this would happen to me, but having an abortion, I won't regret.

This story was shared from our partners at Shout Your Abortion.