i'm the woman the politicians don't want you to think about. stable marriage, decent education, stay at home mother to a five year old, 32 years old and one who desperately wanted more children.

i am currently in my late thirties, single and live in austin, texas. my first abortion was when i was 22, still in school, and thought i had law school ahead of me.

i was 40 years old. i had already grieved 4 miscarriages. i suffered years of pelvic pain and depression afterward.

at age 35, while in an abusive marriage with two kids, i became pregnant unexpectedly. there had been a conflict in the marriage, and to prove my commitment, i allowed him to have unprotected sex with me.

my first pregnancy was at 16 yrs old, and i knew it was wrong. i didn't have an abortion because my religious mother cried to me not to.

i had an abortion at 16 weeks. i was 27. my boyfriend and i had just bought a house. having a child was not planned, but we were not avoiding having children. so i got pregnant.