Hi, My Name Is Kim.

Hi. I'm Kim and I had a medication abortion in Pennsylvania in 2012.

I found out I was pregnant when I missed my period and took a pregnancy test, and my first thought was nervous and being excited to become a mother. I decided to have a medication abortion because at my second ultrasound, there was no growth from the previous ultrasound and there was no longer a heartbeat detectable. I was given the option to wait for my body to spontaneously abort and if that did not happen, I was to contact my doctor. If the spontaneous abortion (natural body clearing the non-viable fetus) did not happen, I was given the option to schedule a D&C or take mifepristone. My insurance covered very little of the D&C so I chose the medication which was financially a more responsible choice. It would have cleared my savings to pay for the D&C even with insurance. Knowing that if my body didn't naturally abort could lead to infection/sepsis, I am glad to have had an affordable, safe option to help my body perform a natural function that it was not doing on its own.

I received my abortion pills through a clinic.

From start to finish, the process was scary to think I could die if my body didn't finish the process of passing the no longer viable fetus. I took the pills at home, and I felt crampy, vomited, and felt terrible for a few hours but it was manageable and my husband supported me through the process. What surprised me most was how much I felt nauseated - I was prepared for cramping.

Because I had access to medication abortion, I was able to avoid complications like sepsis. I felt relief that I was going to be able to try to have a baby when my body was ready.

I'm sharing my story because anyone who thinks that this is a medication used by lazy, uncaring women as a way to convenience their lives with an easy out of abortion is a narrative that is dangerous to every woman who needs to use it to avoid complications that could result in death of a woman.

Medication abortion is healthcare, is SAVING LIVES, and is a woman's right to have a choice.