If you’ve had one or more abortions and are struggling emotionally now—whether it’s been days, weeks, or even years after your abortion experience—you’re not alone. It’s so important to know that hope is possible and that you can start on a journey toward healing.
One of the best ways to get on this path is to hear from other women who have had abortions. By hearing their stories and discovering how they found hope amidst the pain, you will find that you aren’t alone and that you, too, can cope with your feelings and move forward.
This article will share Jenna’s story.
Jenna’s Story
Longing for Someone to Care
“I had two abortions. And each time, I thought it would solve the problems I was facing in the moment, but I couldn’t have been more wrong,” shares Jenna.
“Both of the clinics, although they were different, were cold and impersonal, dingy and old … and I felt like I was walking into a back alley.”
Despite feeling “so scared” when she went into these clinics and wished someone would tell her it was okay and show her they cared, she was met with cold indifference. No one at either abortion clinic asked her about who she was or how she was doing.
Jenna wished someone would have told her that she didn’t need to go through with the abortions. But instead, at one of the clinics, the “uncaring” doctor simply told her, “don’t move and be still.”
“I Remember the Suction…”
Jenna was traumatized by both abortion experiences and felt that they were “very demeaning,” and she immediately had regret.
Because Jenna was awake during her first abortion experience, she vividly remembers “the suction” and calls it “the sound that I can never get out of my mind.”
While she was sedated for her second abortion, she felt traumatized upon waking up and having a stranger pull up her pants after the abortion.
After both abortions, she was shuffled out the back door like she should feel ashamed.
“My Self-Worth Vanished…”
After her abortion experiences, Jenna shares that her “self-worth vanished.” She began to hate herself and thought, “How could anyone love me? How could I love myself? How could God love me after what I had done?”
Despite these pervasive struggles, she carried all the shame and self-hatred silently and secretly—leading her to feel like no one around her knew her true self.
She longed desperately for love and for someone to know who she was deep down, but she felt it was impossible because she couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone what she had done or how she felt as a result.
Her feelings of isolation turned into anger towards organizations like Planned Parenthood that she felt lied to her. She says that these organizations tell women that they won’t experience physical or emotional complications and that abortion “is no big deal,” but in her experience, this couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Finding Ways to Cope
Jenna credits finding a supportive group of women to talk to and trying to prevent other women from making the same mistakes as an instrumental part of her healing process.
Jenna joined a post-abortion grief support program at Choices, where she found a safe space to talk about her experience with other people who understood what she was going through.
Now, she’s vocal about telling women that “you can get through it. You don’t have to make this decision.” She currently volunteers as an ultrasound nurse at Choices.
You Can Find Hope and Healing Too
If you can relate to Jenna’s story, please know that you aren’t alone in this. Many women have been in your shoes and found hope and healing—breaking away from the pain.
The worst thing you can do is carry this emotional weight silently. But when you share your experience, you will feel the heaviness lifting and healing happening.
At Choices, we’re here to help. We provide a safe, confidential environment to process your feelings, receive support, and find community. No matter where you are in your after-abortion journey, we are here for you.
Contact us today to get started. You’re not alone in this.