Abortion is a very personal decision. Some women are comfortable speaking up about their experience, but others are more apprehensive. They might not want to share their abortion with others. However, keeping the experience to themselves may not be easy on their emotions or mental state. What help exists for women who don’t want anyone to find out about their abortion?
Having an abortion can be difficult for some women to handle or consider as a pregnancy option. If you’re struggling with an abortion consideration or with an abortion experience, look to Avenue Women’s Center for help. Our free consultations not only offer a private and confidential space to address your personal concerns, but also accurate and reliable information about each pregnancy option, including abortion. Additionally, we provide connections to after-abortion emotional care. Call, text, chat, or email us to learn more!
Your Abortion Experience Is Yours to Share (or Not)
No abortion experience is exactly the same. Each woman’s circumstances, reasons, thoughts, and feelings about abortion are unique. What was a confident decision for one woman might be a remorseful choice for another. An abortion was the best option at the time, but it later becomes a difficult topic with feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, or regret. You might avoid hearing about it on television or discussing it openly with loved ones, friends, or your partner.
However, keeping this experience to yourself can eat away at your thoughts, feelings, and your personal and intimate relationships. Secrets can be hard to hold in, especially if they are causing an upset internally. They can affect your ability to function in daily activities, distracting your heart, your mind, and robbing you of feeling authentically yourself. You might not feel like anyone understands, but there is hope if you’re feeling something along these lines.
Lifting the Weight and Maintaining Your Privacy
Many women who don’t want anyone to find out about their abortion fear judgment and worry what others close to them will think about it. But telling others about your abortion isn’t a means to seek their approval. Although they may have strong reactions to your news, our loved ones often want the best for us and care more about our well-being than our past decisions. Opening up about your abortion can be a path toward lifting the weight that a big secret can feel like. You can still maintain your privacy as you move forward and process your post-abortion feelings, and it’s up to you who to trust. Maybe only a handful of people in your life know you’ve had an abortion, or perhaps just one close person. You might have confided in a counselor or therapist, but still have tough lingering emotions. Sometimes more specialized help is needed to heal from a challenging abortion experience. A helpful step might be to look into abortion recovery groups or speaking to a professional about individual or one-on-one abortion counseling opportunities.
Opening up about an abortion experience or an abortion consideration can be difficult. At Avenue Women’s Center, we can connect you to after-abortion care healing, as well as support if you’re in the middle of a pregnancy decision. We come alongside women in their unique pregnancy situations with compassionate and understanding support. Learning more information about the option of abortion can be an important first step to understanding how it may impact you afterward. Find nonjudgmental and accurate information in the free options consultations we offer each women seeking help in their pregnancy decision. Contact us to set up your appointment at any of our five Chicagoland locations!
The information provided here is general in nature. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a medical professional. Before any medical procedure, it is imperative that you discuss your personal medical history, risks, and concerns with your doctor. If you have questions during or after a procedure, your doctor should be immediately contacted. Avenue Women’s Center is not an emergency center. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, such as bleeding and/or pain, seek immediate medical attention. Contact your physician, go to an emergency room, or call 911.