Roe v. Wade (81 of 365)

Today's the 34th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as Mac points out here. I am, of course, shamelessly ripping her off, but for a good cause.

In October 2004 I missed a period. I was on the pill, and had been having weird periods (that were sometimes late or early), but this felt different, and a test confirmed it. I learned a lot that month. I found out that many women I knew had had abortions. I found out that even in 2004, when you call an abortion clinic, they answer the phone "Doctors' office," and ask you to not mention abortion in the waiting room. The website for the clinic I went to didn't give an address; I had to call and make the appointment before they gave it to me.

They were wonderful people, and I was well taken care of, but even so, I developed a cervical infection in the days after the procedure. I called them, went in for a checkup, and was given an antibiotic that cleared it up immediately. I remember realizing that this is precisely the risk women take when they have illegal abortions. The infection that I'd had, if not treated, could have become really serious. As it was, it was incredibly painful. (Today in El Salvador, if a woman goes to an emergency room to be treated for a similar infection, she is arrested.)

My husband and I didn't want a baby, so there wasn't really any hesitation about what to do, and I felt enormous relief when the abortion was over. Even so, it was one of the most emotionally complicated events of my life. I'm glad I had the support of my friends, and that I didn't have to go through it in secret.