“I was 13. After telling my mentally abusive boyfriend that I had missed my period, I didn’t hear from him for weeks. I remember going out to dinner one night with my family at Ruby Tuesday’s. When I stood up to leave the restaurant, I got dizzy. I knew at this point that I couldn’t keep denying the pregnancy, that I needed help, and that I had to tell my mom. I sat down with her a few nights later. With tears in my eyes, I gained the courage to mutter the words ‘I’m pregnant.’ I assured her that I did not want to keep the child and I would have to get an abortion. She stood up, walked away, and didn’t kiss me goodnight when I went to bed. I remember praying to God that if he took this pregnancy away, I’d never have sex again. I remember hating myself. I remember feeling shame, guilt, and being disgusted. I remember being scared. …I repressed the experience. I hated myself for it. A year after the abortion, I fell into a spiraling depression. I didn’t know what to feel, I just knew th...