On my 26th birthday weekend, the man I’ve been seeing for a few months took me out to dinner and we had an incredible time, as we always did.

A week after, I found out I was pregnant with his child. Seeing the positive test result made me shaky, but I knew, I’ve always known, what my course of action would be if I ever got pregnant unexpectedly. I say unexpectedly because I’ve always been cautious about birth control. I’d been on and off the same birth control pill since the age of 18 and never had a problem with it. That is, until I got pregnant. I immediately contacted Planned Parenthood and set an appointment for a medical abortion for the following Friday. I spent the rest of the day debating on how or even if I should even tell him. In the end I came to the conclusion I had to tell him as that was his right and also for my sake. It didn’t seem fair to me that I bear this burden by myself, as this takes two. It was probably the hardest conversation I ever had to start with anybody, as I had no idea how he would react (we never had a conversation on the topic). I could not even look at him. I told him I was pregnant and what I wanted to do. I asked if he was ok with that. He said yes. I can honestly tell how lucky I felt for having this option when it comes to my own body and life. I originally come from a catholic country, where abortion is still illegal. Thousands of girls die from complications each year as a result of a botched illegal abortion. Making it illegal only endangers women’s lives and do not serve as a deterrent. As for my abortion itself, I was treated with respect and never once felt judged or inferior. The staff was professional and courteous, and above all human. I ended up opting for the actual procedure and not the pill, because I thought it would be a better option for me. The procedure went smoothly. I was sedated and unconscious and opted to have the IUD placed right after the procedure. I woke up with no complications and had a friend come pick me up. I took it easy for the next week or so and finally started feeling like myself again. Sometimes I still have a hard time believing this actually happened to me, but I have no regrets. I cannot imagine being forced to carry on a pregnancy that I did not wish for. Never let anyone tell you what you should do with your life, with your body. Whatever your decision is, that is yours and yours alone.