I’m done having kids, especially for the sake of my mental health. If I were to have an accident, I would have to terminate the pregnancy. It really, mentally, is life or death for me, and I have to choose my life.
What a turnaround from being “pro-life”! What happened that I’m now pro-choice?
First off, IVF has given me a different view on conception and when life begins. It’s given me a different view on how soon a pregnancy can be discovered (6 weeks). And there are so many variables that may induce “abortions”: miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and threat to a woman’s life. It’s not always about “I just don’t want a baby.”
Also, late-term abortions don’t normally happen because the woman has decided, “Okay, I’m 26 weeks and I just don’t want this anymore.” Late-term abortions usually happen as a result of potential birth defects. It is a heart-wrenching decision for parents. It would be traumatizing for a woman to carry a baby to term only to either give birth to a stillborn or a baby who would eventually die due to a condition.
I’ve also been in an emotional support group where 2 of the women had to terminate their pregnancies: one because she didn’t want the baby and the other because, even though she desperately wanted a child, had extreme suicidal thoughts that only abated once she had an abortion. This allowed me to have a human perspective on a topic that had always been abstract.
The change in my mindset is crazy because I’m seeing all these abortion bans happening in a lot of states, and I now think, This isn’t the answer. There was a point in my life where I would’ve hailed these abortion bans. But the so-called pro-life group is hypocritical. They might as well be called “anti-abortion.” Pro-life is a misnomer. They claim to care about fetuses and life inside the womb, yet remain silent when minorities are slaughtered by police. They remain silent when it comes down to gun control. This group often supports the death penalty. They are anti-welfare for parents who need to provide for their kids. And it’s also become incredibly political. I once considered attending the “March for Life.” Then one year, Mike Pence spoke at the gathering and it became clear to me that the March for Life wasn’t even for pro-life Democrats. It was a conservative political event and I wanted no part of it. So the talk about Roe vs Wade being overturned kinda saddens me as it will take women back to the days of backroom abortions, causing increased mortality among females who cannot get healthcare.
In a proper setting, abortion IS a form of healthcare.
In the role of Roe vs Wade getting overturned, the federal government wouldn’t outright ban abortions; it would give states the authority to ban abortions as they see fit without federal intervention. So Oklahoma’s ridiculous ban on abortion at the moment of conception would not be overturned except by the state congress and governor’s signature.
And don’t get me started about giving trans kids life-saving healthcare. These “Don’t Say Gay” bills are evil and deny the identity of people. LGBTQ+ youth have enough trouble accepting who they are; this is the federal government officially saying they are bad and that their existence isn’t worthwhile.
Everything is political now. Race. Pregnancy. Identity. Even medical care. It’s inescapable.
So there. I said my peace (piece?). Thirteen years later after starting this blog, and even 40 years into my life, I have become pro-choice.
This Journey Is My Own 