Hi, My Name Is Alyssa.

Hi. I'm Alyssa, and I had a medication abortion in Texas in 2023.

I found out I was pregnant when I missed my period and took a test, and my first thought was "I am not ready for this. I am not ready to be a mom. I cannot afford to have a kid right now, and I am just starting my legal career." I decided to have a medication abortion because women were bleeding out and dying in Texas. I did not want to be in that state and have a kid where women were not being protected. I also had one because I was not ready. I had just started my legal career, and I was not ready to be a mom. I loved my partner, and we eventually got married the next year, but we were not ready to be parents.

I received my abortion pills through the mail from an organization.

I took the pills at home, and I felt scared, but not scared from the actual experience. I knew it was safe, but I was more scared of doing it in a state where it was illegal. It was painful. What surprised me most was how not guilty I felt. I felt guilty for not being guilty. I was also surprised that it just looked like a heavy period to me. The propaganda people send is insane.

Because I had access to medication abortion, I was able to keep my job and continue advancing as an attorney. I got married to my best friend without the pressure of being new parents. I can also have kids when I am ready and in a better place. I felt relief.

I'm sharing my story because no one should feel alone, and no one should have to feel like they have a sob story reason to have an abortion. I am also sharing because women in red states like Texas can still have access, but it is a scary process. Not the physical process itself, but just being in a place that is trying to control women's bodies.

Medication abortion is healthcare and saved my life.