Woman Who Was Raped and Had an Abortion Speaks Out

A woman who was raped and had an abortion now regrets it and wants people to stop using rape as an argument to keep abortion legal. She spoke in a pro-life rally in Mississippi.

“I was raped a month before I turned 18. And because of that rape I was so fearful and so shameful that I chose abortion, out of fear. My rape was nothing compared to what I did to my child. What my rapist did to me does not compare to what I chose to do to my baby. My rapist didn’t kill me, I’m standing here alive right now. I have three beautiful children at home and a husband who loves me. But I chose to kill my child out of the shame, out of guilt, out of fear because of what a man did to me. Rape is no excuse for abortion. I want to say that.… Rape, I’m not a victim, I’m not a victim anymore, I’m a survivor. I’m a mother of a child who I aborted who, thank the Lord, is in heaven – and because of Jesus Christ, I’ll be with that child again – and I pray for my rapist every day… But I’m tired, as a person who was raped in a person who had an abortion, I’m telling you right now, I’m tired of using rape as an excuse.… For years I lived in depression, contemplated suicide, attempted suicide, I spend years drinking to numb the pain, to numb the horrific nightmares, was later diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, not just because of the rape but because of the abortion. I was done with my rape, I was trying to conceive how in the world like I could choose to kill my child. How could I not be strong enough. Who was gonna speak for me as an 18-year-old girl who didn’t have a family to support her. No one did… We have got to speak up, it’s not just about the babies, it’s about the moms like me who think they’re making a good decision but they’re not.”

For the full testimony, watch the video. Religious beliefs expressed in testimonies are not endorsed by clinicquotes.