A few days ago I took a pregnancy test that came out positive. There were a lot of emotions, but the most prevelant was fear of the unknown. I live in a very conservative state in the south and know that people rather me get the death penalty than get an abortion. I didn’t hesitate and called the closest abortion clinic for an appointment. The waiting was nerve wracking because I did not know what to expect.

The day comes where I’m driving to the clinic and arrive. You have to be escorted by security officers into the building and show your ID. When you’re in the building, you see all these women in a tiny building. It is scary because there are so many emotions going on at once. I saw women and men of all races, socioeconomic status, and ages there. You’re given a form and have to wait a long time. This is not like a trip to a salon, so you have to plan to have at least 3 hours of your day for this. I’m thankful I did not work that day. There were so many people there and I saw emotions from crying to silently waiting. There wasn’t much for distraction. There was a point where the building was too full and anyone not there for a medical procedure had to leave. It caused some women with partners or friends to get upset not wanting to be left alone. It was like hysteria, but I’ve never seen complete strangers support others the way I did that day. I’m called back and they do a sonogram. Nothing. They took a urine test and that came back negative too. I appeared to have a false positive pregnancy test. The nurses told me to not look too happy as I left because was not actually pregnant. I was crying from relief at this point. If I were pregnant I would be around 9 to 10 weeks.

There were so many emotions running through my head, but I was insanely upset. I now know why. It was like going to a war zone or area of crisis. Women were cramped in this small building with uncomfortable chairs and no distraction. Women were crying and upset. People had to be escorted in by security. There was a point where they had to ask people that aren’t there for medical services to leave because the building wasn’t in capacity zone laws. This one girl younger than me was crying and begging her bf not to leave her. Another woman hugged her. I never seem so much support for other women in my entire life. The building was small and there was so many women. I wondered why? Because this is what our government and state has done. They turned women’s health care into a battle zone where we are on the front lines. The nurses and doctors were doing their best at this clinic helping as best they could with all these legislative restrictions. Such as lack of funding.

Unless you’ve been through what I have or any woman has been at an abortion clinic, you have no right to judge women for the medical decisions they make. What other medical procedure do you have to be escorted by security for? What medical procedure do you have to face protesters screaming at you? What medical decisions is so stigmatized that it makes most women fearful of the social judgment of their peers? Every woman of any race, socioeconomic status, and age will need to avail themselves to reproductive services. That is why it is important we protect legislation that helps these places and protect women’s rights to healthcare, that includes abortions. If you want to make a difference, donate to your local clinic or volunteer to help women by being a driver or an escort.

Tdlr; Our government and state has turned what should be a medical procedure into a battle zone and area of crisis. I will never forget the experience of going into an abortion clinic in a southern conservative state