One woman told her story:
“I’VE got no qualms about having had an abortion. I did it for the right reasons. The father was a married policeman which was far from socially acceptable, and I don’t believe I’d be the successful businesswoman I am today if I’d had a baby at 21. …
At 18 weeks gone, there was no time to mess around with making a decision.
But from the outset, I looked at things very calmly and rationally. I didn’t want a child because I was far too young and I knew the man I was with, who was ten years older than me, would not support me.
I came home and discussed it with my parents, who were both level-headed, too. They didn’t know I was having an affair with a married man and I didn’t volunteer the information, so they advised me to consider all my options.
But my mind was made up and I went ahead with a termination two days later without discussing it with the baby’s father. I didn’t see the point. The only thing I was worried about when I arrived at my local hospital was having a general anaesthetic. I was scared I wouldn’t wake up.
I told the policeman a couple of days later. At first, he didn’t believe me.
To prove it I had to show him a referral letter from my GP. He was shocked and insisted he pay for the abortion even though I’d had it done for free on the NHS.
I remember him coming to my office and handing over [pounds sterling]300, which was pretty surreal. That was a lot of money in those days, so my parents put it in a savings account for me.
The termination didn’t affect our affair. We carried on going out for another two years.”
NATASHA PEARLMAN; JENNY NISBET “ABORTION: THE LEGACY” The Daily Mail July 27, 2006 42.
Abortions at this stage are done by D&E. here is a chart showing how it’s done:
