People Who Have Had Abortions, What Do You Wish Others Understood About Them?

This week, a Texas law that bans abortions at just 6 weeks of pregnancy went into effect after the US Supreme Court declined to block it.

Everyone who decides to have an abortion has different valid reasons for their choice. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of misconceptions about abortion, ranging from misinformation about why people decide to have abortions to false myths about the procedure itself.

So, if you've had an abortion and are comfortable sharing, we want to hear from you: What do you wish more people understood about abortion?

Maybe you had your abortion after 6 weeks (which make up 85% to 90% of abortions) and are frustrated that there's so many misconceptions about the timeline of pregnancy — like the fact that many people don't even know they're pregnant by this point.

Perhaps you personally felt relief and not a sense of loss or regret after your abortion, and you want to break that stigma.

Maybe you chose to terminate a pregnancy that you actually wanted — or even planned — because of health conditions, and you want to share that experience.

Or maybe you just want to share helpful information that you wish you had known before your abortion, like what to expect during the actual procedure or the fact that the abortion pill is an option.

Tell us what you want people to understand about abortion in the comments below — or, if you prefer to stay anonymous, use this form instead. Some submissions will be featured in a future BuzzFeed Community post.