Silent No More, Forward Readers Tell Their Abortion Stories

Image by Nikki Casey

Laura E. Adkins June 14, 2016

Inspired by the moving teen abortion tale of 1960s Chicago, told by Larry Cohler-Esses in these pages in May, many readers wrote in to tell us how the story resonated with their own experiences.

So we decided to throw open our pages to share readers’ stories of the abortions in their lives.

We received dozens of deeply affecting accounts from women and men, from four different continents and from decades scattered over the past century.

Those who shared their stories with us were beyond brave. Many had lived in silence for decades, keeping their involvements in abortion a secret from loved ones. Many thanked us for giving them the opportunity to finally speak out about their experiences.

While the women and men who wrote to us come from different countries and eras, we heard one thing over and over again: The decision to have an abortion was a deeply personal one.

So, as the Supreme Court continues to balance the merits of access to legal abortion we invite you to read these 11 personal stories and make up your own mind.

Silent No More

— Readers’ Abortion Stories

Mah Ramsey Got Arrested – by Kathleen Peratis, 71, New York
I Was Almost Aborted Before the Holocaust; I Survived – by Alfred, 75, District of Columbia
Forming a Spiritual Being – by Stosh Cotler, 48, New York
Saving Lives at the University of Florida – by Michael, 73, New Jersey
Not Worth a Gamble — by Carol, 71, Arizona
Double Jeopardy for One Teenager — by Karen, 56, Georgia
A Law Student’s Brutal Dilemma – by Victoria, 64, New York
A Masked Man at a Farm Near Baltimore, Then a Happy Ending With Boxer Shorts – by Rosalyn, 70, Maryland
In Brazil, Abortion Is Still Illegal – by Ana, 58, Brazil
In a Back Alley of Tijuana – by Nancy, 75, Israel
From Generation to Generation – by Claire, 65, California

Laura E. Adkins is a senior director at Jewish Women International and the former opinion editor of the Forward. Email her or follow her on X.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward. Discover more perspectives in Opinion. To contact Opinion authors, email opinion@forward.com.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO