Jeannette

Jeannette's story is collected especially for the SHHH project. All informants and stories in this project have been anonymised. All names are changed.

I have had two abortions in my lifetime. I already had the two children I wanted with my husband and I decided that it was enough. I made the decision by myself, and my husband consented.

The first time I was 26 and lived in Mexico. I did not know where to go to have the procedure done, but I asked some acquaintances, and a friend accompanied me to the office. I had the procedure done in a doctor’s office, it was without any anaesthesia, and it was very painful. I felt like I was socially shamed. 

The second time I had an abortion, I was 32 years old and in the USA. This time I went to a clinic that specialized in abortions. I had learned about the clinic via various advertisements, and my husband came with me. The treatment was respectful and without making me feel guilty. I did not have any complications following the procedure.

I did not feel guilty then or now. I am convinced that having an abortion should be legalized, because it went well for me, but many women die in clandestine abortions. Once, I had to take a poor woman with 5 children to a hospital. She had been given a knitting needle by a midwife to induce abortion, and she was bleeding to death.