Submitted by: Abby I had a surgical abortion today. I was 11 weeks. My husband recently left me and our 3 kids so this was the best option for my family. I didn’t have anyone to drive me and I didn’t want to do the abortion pill at home. The clinic doesn’t offer lidocaine to […]
To Remember
Lisa is 27 years old and grew up in southern Germany. She is living in Berlin, studying to become an actor. To Remember What hurts most is that I knew it from the beginning, when I slept with Jamir without protection. I knew it was risky. More, it was wrong. But it was as if […]
Breaking My Silence… 28 Years Later
Submitted by: Anonymous My life was forever changed the day I walked into that women’s clinic. I was just starting out in college, 18 years old, and had my whole life waiting in front of me. I had a one-night-stand. I didn’t plan to sleep with this guy, but I wanted him to like me. […]
I was on the pill
Submitted by: Anonymous I found out I was pregnant the day before Halloween. I had just returned from my fiancé’s sister’s wedding, and had been feeling weird the whole time. I chalked it up to all the stress and drinking of the weekend. The previous week, my fiancé and I had put a $5,000 deposit […]
No Hard Feelings
Submitted by: Shannon L I have given birth to 3 sons — 2 living and 1 dead. The one who died was my first, when I was 22. He lived for one hour. He was a breech birth, so I needed a Caesarean. I never held him or saw him. I was given the opportunity, […]
I choose me
Submitted by: Anonymous Gal I am 33 and have muscular dystrophy. I am happily married for 6 years now and we’ve always been afraid of pregnancy because of how debilitating it could be to my already weak muscles AND my baby has a 50% chance of inheriting the faulty gene. I found out I was […]
Volunteer for Exhale
We are excited to announce our next virtual training cohort. The group training is 25 hours plus additional assignments (up to 2 hours/week) to be completed outside of online training. You must have a computer with stable internet connection, a webcam and a quiet, confidential space you can be in to join our virtual training. […]
Let’s Talk Abortion: A Conversation with the Man Who Accompanied Me to the Clinic
Anonymous. My friend Robert and I go way back; we shared the same obscure major in college. Our relationship has always been strictly platonic, but over 10+ years of friendship, more than one person has assumed we’re husband and wife. We’ve stayed close as many things have changed in both of our lives: many different […]
A Very Positive Experience after an IUD Fail
Submitted by Audrey I am in my early thirties and have had an IUD for 6 years. Although I had been very careful with my long term boyfriend as to not increase risk of pregnancy on top of Paragaurd, I still got pregnant. This was a shock to me on many levels – practically, since […]
Exhale Featured on UPworthy!
Exhale’s pro-voice mission and after-abortion support talkline are featured in a new Upworthy video*. It is a lovely piece featuring one of our amazing volunteer counselors, Amelia, and Executive Director, Susan Chorley. Please watch, and share it with those you want to know about our unique approach to providing non-judgmental counseling to individuals with abortion experiences. […]
Contraceptives Do Fail
Submitted by Katherine I am writing this after 3 days of my surgical treatment at 6 weeks. I am 28 years old and I live abroad, far away from home. My story may be a bit long but it is important for me to tell the whole context of my experience. I don’t have a […]
Surgical abortion at 9 weeks
Submitted by Jamie I’m writing this today because I found reading other women’s stories so helpful, before mine and wanted to share a really positive experience. I had my abortion today at Planned Parenthood and it couldn’t have gone better. Where I’m located they only do them on Fridays, so I had a two week […]
Words of encouragement for people who have abortion experiences
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My Abortion Experience And How It Could Have Been Avoided
When I was 16 and living in Bible Belt, I was raped. And then I was confronted with a very adult decision without a lot of facts at hand to help me. So when I heard that the Supreme Court this week decided to let Arkansas’ abortion restrictions stand, I became more worried than ever that […]
Let’s Talk Abortion: An Open Letter to My First, My Only
Jocelyn Miller is a Montessori teacher in San Francisco who spends her weekdays supporting the growth, development, and independence of young children. She is a lover of writing, hiking, spending as much time outside as possible, and going to concerts. She wrote this piece to destigmatize abortion and to offer a story of strength and […]
Hyperemesis Gravidarum Abortion
Submitted by Susan Ponce When I found out I was pregnant, it was the best night with the love of my life. We were incredibly happy and he was the happiest man alive. We’re 24 and having a baby, YAY! However, the reason we found out I was pregnant is that I was so incredibly sick! […]