OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Following a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that suggests a majority of justices will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, Kansas City women who have had an abortion are speaking out about their experiences.
“I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like it was the best thing to make it go away. I don’t think we think about the lifelong consequences that can happen to us," Kelly Carter said.
Carter's abortion as a teenager resulted in her never being able to have biological children on her own.
Even though Carter’s abortion caused long-term damage, the major complication rate among abortions in the U.S. is 0.23%, according to the Obstetrics & Gynecology Journal.
For 15 years, she worked with Advice and Aid Pregnancy Centers, which is an organization that provides an alternative to abortion.
“A pregnancy center is always going to be needed for women because there’s always going to be unexpected pregnancies. And coming to a place where you can get loved on, where you can get help, you can get support," Carter said.
Mandy Culbertson also got an abortion as a teenager.
"I was 19, I was a college student. I wasn’t ready to be a parent, and I made a decision that was right for me,” Culbertson said.
Culbertson worked with abortion rights group Planned Parenthood and said a leaked draft of a decision from the high court to overturn abortion protection nationwide is disheartening.
“These are real people who are affected, and it’s about a person being able to make the right decision for their life,” Culbertson said.
Despite taking different positions on the topic of abortion, Carter and Culbertson agree education is vital for a woman to make an informed decision on abortion.
