Politics Part 2 – Choice

I thought Part 2 would be on social aid programs. But I would have been missing a step. Before I encountered that issue personally, I came face to face with an unplanned pregancy. At 19. While I was just beginning my second year of college. I was classically undereducated on birth control. A completely sheltered only child who’s parents just were from a generation too old to know how to deal with it properly. I learned the hard way. I found out at the UCSD health center since I was a student there. The head doctor was the mom of my best friend from my first two years of high school (thank gawd!) She helped me absorb the shock of finding out and then went through my options with me. From the start, in my gut, I knew I would not terminate. But sitting there I have to say that I was glad I had choices. The father agreed with me and of course I have never regretted having a baby that young. I truly believe that had I not, I never WOULD have had children.
However, having been close to two friends in high school who did have abortions, I had never felt like that was a wrong choice either. They had no familial support at all in their lives and the boys were just..boys and totally unwilling to even acknowledge paternity let alone help them make their decisions. These girls and their babies had they been forced to have them would have lived on in a world of despair and poverty without a doubt. Drug use too with one girl for sure. In fact one girl will tell you that the abortion set her straight. She is now married with two children who says would not even BE right now if not for the choice she was able to make at 16.
Flash forward in my life again with DS1’s dad out of the picture once he is 4. But I am ok. Back in school and living with my parents. New man in my life. Been dating 2 months and we both already know we have something good going on. Properly using birth control now 🙂 And yet…I am late. First one week. Then two. Totally different gut reaction this time! Oh hell NO I am not doing this again!! I am not puttin my education, my blossoming career on hold. Boy #1 needs me full time since his dad is unreliable. I cannot make him share me! Hell NO. Thankfully, the new boyfriend agrees and off we go to Planned Parenthood. Take the test..false alarm. Stress induced most likely because of everything I was juggling at that point. So I walk out relieved, but again, thankfull that I had the choice.
Without even realizing it, I guess I have always been pro-choice. Let me also include pro birth control and pro education about sexuality and pregnancy prevention. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those who are pro-life. I understand where they are coming from. However it really makes me mad to hear about abstinence only education and insurances not covering the pill, and pharmacies refusing to fill the prescriptions due to their beliefs. Holy shit do they not see how contradictary they are? If you want to reduce the number of abortions – and pay attention because the rates have gone UP with the increase in power of the pro life groups – then you have to put your efforts into prevention. REALISTIC prevention. Abstinence is just not realistic on a global scale.
Most importantly, it is a privacy issue. This is MY BODY. You may absolutely not tell me what to do with it.
Ok, next time I can move into the social programs. The setup is in here. I was a full-time student at UCSD when I fell pregnant at 19. I chose to have the child. That’s kinda expensive!!