Tone Madison is publishing oral histories related to abortion, miscarriage, birth control, and reproductive health from people in the Madison area. Read more about this project and find information about sharing your story. We are also publishing brief messages of support for storytellers.

We ask that these stories are not reprinted in other outlets.

Below is a verbatim account from anonymous:

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I was a college student, and I had a steady boyfriend, although—we had not actually used the words boyfriend and girlfriend yet. And I remember, um, figuring out over Christmas that I was pregnant, because I was having morning sickness. And I was home with my family but I didn’t feel like I could share what was going on. And then in January we went to Planned Parenthood and had an abortion. And I remember they asked me who was with me, and I turned to the guy, and was like, can I call you my boyfriend? And he was like, I think you can. And that was sort of our moment where we became an official boyfriend and girlfriend.

And um, you know I don’t remember much about the abortion itself. But, I think about it every once in a while, but it’s not a decision that I regret. I’m so grateful that I had access to that at a point where I was not ready to start a family, and was not in a committed relationship, so. And I wish that we could give that to everybody. Everybody deserves that for whatever reason, whatever personal reason they have.