Abortions have been more then usual in our country for 30+ years now due to the Roe Vs Wade case in 1973. According to abortionno.org; 52% of woman obtaining abortion in the U.S are under 25. This statistics influenced me to Interview a Woman who acquired an abortion, specifically a woman who is 25 or younger. The Female being interviewed requested to remain anonymous but she didn't mind me posting the questions and answers from the interview. Here they are;
Question #1:
How old where you when you acquired an abortion?
Answer: 17 years old
Question #2: What was your first reaction and first feelings when you first found out you were pregnant?
Answer: I was afraid & nervous but also happy. I wanted to keep the baby but that did not last long. I could picture my father’s face and from there on i was upset because the only possiblity was to have an abortion.
Question 3: Did you have support from others or did you decide to take this situation on alone, if so, why?
Answer: My sister & the father of the baby were supportive but my parents did not know. The father wanted me to keep the baby but i had to make the mature and best decision.
Question 4: Was abortion the first alternative and/or the only alternative you thought about?
Answer: I thought about having it at first but that quickly turned into me getting an abortion. I couldn't imagine going through the pregnancy process then having to give my baby up for adoption. Also I was to young and immature to keep it.
Question #5: What was your opinion on abortion before you acquired one?
Answer: I was never against abortion, I feel that every woman should have a choice. This was weird because it goes against my religion of being Catholic.
Question #6: Why did you choose to get an abortion?
Answer: It was going to affect not only my life but the people around me, also the child. It would have been a disgrace if I had a child at 17.
Question #7 What were the after affects of the abortion, physically and emotionally?
Answer: The abortion was very painful, I felt like I had heavy cramps for a couple of days. I felt an emptiness because I felt a disconnect from my self. I began to question my self & I never forgave my self. I will never have another abortion again.
This interview went similar to how I predicted it was going to go. The female being interviewed followed the social norms that it was disgraceful to have a child at such a young age. Also that she had the abortion because she felt immature and unprepared to have a child. It was interesting to hear that she “never forgave herself”. It made me come to the conclusion that people believe they are doing the right thing until after that “thing” is done and nothing can be changed. She felt that she made a mistake and learned from the experience. Before this interview I believed that mother’s usually only worry about what was best for them. Such as the things this statistic shows; “Thirty-eight percent indicated that having a baby
would interfere with their education, and the same proportion
said it would interfere with their employment. In
a related vein, 34% said they could not afford a child because
they were students or were planning to study” ( guttmacher.org ) After this interview I discovered something I did not think much about before. Becoming a mother means they wont be able to live their lives putting themselves before everyone, now there was a smaller individual who was number one in their life. Being that this was the case; what ever was going to affect the mother/woman was also going to have a significant impact on the child. The females are looking out for their best interest but as a mother they are also looking out for their baby’s interest. The baby is completely dependent on the mother so what ever affects her also effects the child. It can affect the environment the child is raised in, the education the child receives, finical problems the child will have, etc.. The next time someone thinks about abortion just keep in mind that the woman isn't being selfish. The woman is being mature enough to understand that if she has this child every issue she has will therefore by her child's issue as well.