Seven years ago, when I was 20 years old, I was in an abusive relationship and became pregnant. As someone who’s been affected by poverty, homelessness and mental health struggles, I knew there was no way I could provide for a child financially or emotionally. I reached out to several clinics, including one that I later discovered was a crisis pregnancy center — a type of organization masquerading as a health care provider that spreads misinformation about abortion — where I was continuously steered away from the option to abort. The lack of respectful, empathetic care made me feel silenced and guilty.

I turned to my local Planned Parenthood health center, where I was greeted by a kind and informative staff that asked about my needs, offered tangible resources, and educated me about all of my reproductive options, including abortion. After a few prenatal checkups, I made the impossible decision to keep the pregnancy and put my child up for adoption after her birth.

This wasn’t my first experience with Planned Parenthood. Five years earlier, I walked into a Planned Parenthood health center and was screened and treated for an STI that could have left me infertile. Today, I can confidently say that without the reproductive health care........

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