Heather C.

A woman’s right to choose is a fundamental human right. When a woman becomes pregnant, it should be her choice, and her choice alone, whether to continue the pregnancy or not. No woman should be forced to have a baby. That said, I want to talk about the other side of the pro-choice coin—the other choice. A woman should also have the right to continue the pregnancy without facing disrespect, even if she’s young, and even if the pregnancy was unplanned.

I found out I was pregnant at the very young age of 18. I was a freshman in college, and I was terrified (I ended up finishing college, by the way). I had never planned on having children at a young age. Although I have always been pro-choice, I really struggled over what I should do. I thought long and hard on the consequences of continuing the pregnancy, of raising a child at such a young age. I had pressure from loved ones to continue it, and I had pressure from loved ones to end it. I made the choice that I felt was right for me–I decided to have the baby.

From that point on, during and after my pregnancy, I was subjected to harsh criticism. From both pro-choice and anti-choice people. From religious and non-religious people. From women and men. People would look at me with disgust or pity for being a young mother. People would ask me how old I was or ...