We asked 14 college women to share with us their experiences and opinions on abortion — read their feelings below.
“My stance on abortion is pro-life. I think a lot of people are only concerned with a woman’s right over her own body, but we need to remember the child should have the right to life. It’s a hard issue no matter which way you turn it, but ultimately, I don’t think we can put the life of one human above another.”
-Abigail, University of West Florida Class of 2019
“I haven’t had to go get an abortion, but I have had pregnancy scares where I knew that, should the test come positive, I’d pay whatever amount needed to get an abortion. I’m pro-choice. Far more than believing that a woman has the right to choose what she wants to do with her body, however, I believe that it’s important to keep in mind the stability of the world that this child may come into. I refuse to bring a human into this world when I’m not ready mentally and financially, to properly give them everything they deserve. Taking care of children requires time, patience, and money. I also refuse to give birth to a child and then give them up for adoption because I can’t support them; they may find a loving family, but they may not, and I don’t want a child, much less someone I gave birth to, to grow up feeling worthless and unloved. I’ll have my family when I can dedicate the time, love, money, and great memories.”
-Mariana, UPR Class of 2016
RELATED: Her Story: I Had An Abortion in College
“This is a topic that I’m incredibly passionate about. The bottom line is, whether it’s legal or not, women will continue to have abortions. Making abortion illegal only causes desperate women to seek options that can be extremely dangerous, such as attempting the abortion themselves. No matter how you feel about abortion, keeping abortion legal keeps women safe. No one is ‘pro-abortion’ — it’s a choice that women make when they have no other options, and I wish that was something that those who identify as pro-life could understand.”
-Caroline, UNC Chapel Hill Class of 2018
“My experience with having an abortion at first was obvious. When I found out I was pregnant my senior year of high school, I knew I had no other choice but to have an abortion because I wasn’t ready to be a mother, my mother would have flipped shit and the guy was nowhere near ready to be a father despite what he wanted to do. The guy — who I was not dating at the time, but had been in a long term relationship before — wanted me to keep the baby, but I knew I wasn’t financially nor emotionally ready for the responsibilities of being someone’s mother. So with further discussion about what to do he soon understood and was on board with me getting the abortion. Being that I was a minor at the time I had to have parental consent in order to get the abortion and I couldn’t tell my mom so I had no other choice but to tell my dad. My dad was actually very supportive when I told him and he just told me that whatever I wanted to do he would understand. However, the week of my abortion was probably the longest week of my life. I was so emotional and confused. The father of my unborn child was little to no support because he was so confident that I was okay with my decision and that everything was okay. I wasn’t okay and still am not completely. I’ll always have the memory of going to the abortion clinic and lying on the table seeing the ultrasound of my child. I’ll always remember taking those pills that caused me to have a forced miscarriage. I’ll always remember lying on the bathroom floor crying because of all the pain I was in because I didn’t want to ruin an innocent child’s life before it started. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think what if I decided to have my child and become a mother. But I have to remind myself that a selfish decision that I made has allowed me to understand that one day I’ll make the selfless decision to become the best mother to my child that I can be.”
-Nicole, VCU Class of 2018
“When it comes to abortion, I take a pro-life stand. However, for me, this extends to a belief in the right to life for everyone. For example, I am against capital punishment just as much as I am against abortion. I don’t think that as humans we should have the authority to decide who lives and who dies without giving them a choice.”
-Kristen, Florida Southern College Class of 2019
RELATED: Are College Women Getting Abortions?
“I know that if I got pregnant during college then I would definitely get one. I am a dance major, and it just simply isn’t possible to be a pregnant dance major. My career is more important to me than having children. If I gave birth before now, my career would be over before it even started.”
-Caroline, Towson University Class of 2019
“You need to do what needs to be done, but if I ever did get pregnant at the wrong time in my life I would never forgive myself.”
-Alix, F&M Class of 2019
“Abortion has always been a tricky subject for me to discern. Going to Catholic elementary school, I was absolutely pro-life, with my doubts of course. As I became more and more educated and increasingly aware of women’s health issues, I started to gain a moral compass of my own, untethered from the oftentimes harmful ideology of my religious school’s teachings. Today, I am 100 percent pro-choice, because I believe women have the right to their bodies, their futures, and their choices. We live in a society where women are too often the victims of government policing, and that should stop.”
-Annie, NYU Class of 2018
“I’m against abortion. I was adopted; if my parents had me aborted, I wouldn’t have the wonderful life I have now!”
-Alana, Boston College Class of 2016
“I have never had an abortion but I would hope that if I ever need to I would have the choice to make a decision about my body. No one should be telling me what to do or how to take care of my body. I understand if others want to take a stand against abortion but do not make that decision for me.”
-Nicole, Le Moyne College Class of 2017
RELATED: You’ve Decided to Get an Abortion: Now What?
“I am personally, morally, and ethically against abortion, but I am pro-choice when it comes to politics. Abortion is a question of morals, and every woman should have the right to decide what she is morally okay with. Morals differ vastly across generations and cultures, and it is unreasonable for the government to make big moral decisions on behalf of everyone.”
-Emily, Lehigh University Class of 2019
“Moving to the south from Pennsylvania I have had to adjust to multiple things. This topic is always a heated topic. On campus we have had members of the Klu Klux Klan and West Borough Baptist Church. However, I believe that women should have the right to do whatever it is with their bodies. When people try to sway me or say that I will ‘grow’ out of my liberal ways I simply tell them that I am not harming them with my thinking. They feel the need to back up their opinions. I support abortion.”
-Hadley, University of Mississippi Class of 2019
“I am completely and totally against abortion. I have participated in the March for Life in Washington, D.C. I am a firm believer that every human being has a right to life, as it is stated in the Constitution.”
-Grace, St. Mary’s College Class of 2020
“I took my friend to get one about three years ago. As scared as she was, we both knew that any decision she made was her own because it directly affects her body. Which led me to the belief that whatever we do, whether it’s an abortion or giving birth, it will be the woman’s choice because it’s her body and her life that will be directly affected.”
-Jess, York College Class of 2016