Amy Rogers, a graduate student at Harvard Medical School, shares when her life changed, and why the Women’s Health Protection Act could change 25 million lives.
In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the longstanding precedents of Roe v. Wade, representing the largest blow to women’s constitutional rights in history. A series from Ms., Our Abortion Stories chronicles readers’ experiences of abortion pre- and post-Roe. Abortions are sought by a wide range of people for many different reasons. There is no single story. Telling stories of then and now shows how critical abortion has been and continues to be for women and girls.
The fall of Roe will continue to strain abortion access nationwide. We cannot, we must not lose the right to safe and accessible abortion or access to birth control.
Share your abortion story by emailing myabortionstory@msmagazine.com.
My name is Amy Rogers; I’m a registered nurse, a wife and a mother.
I am writing this in support of House Bill 12, the Women’s Health Protection Act. This story is personal and painful. I am sharing this for myself, my daughters, and the 25 million women of childbearing age living in states with abortion bans or restrictions.
In 2011, my husband and I were newlyweds. We had primary custody of his 8-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. I had just turned 43 and was shocked and delighted to discover that I was pregnant. Due to my age, I assumed my chances of conceiving without fertility treatments were slim to none.
This spontaneous pregnancy felt like a lovely miracle. I remember how happy I was. It felt like the universe had given me a gift. I was truly glowing.
Everything was progressing normally until I went for my anatomy scan at 12 weeks.
My husband intended to be there for this momentous occasion, but was stuck in the bridge and tunnel traffic of Norfolk. I told the ultrasound technologist to proceed without him, knowing he would get there sooner or later.
She began the ultrasound and very quickly a look of concern washed over her face. I am a nurse, and all too familiar with that look.
She stopped the scan and told me to hold tight while she got the perinatologist to come in and take a look. The doctor pointed out a sizable collection of fluid on the back of the neck called a cystic hygroma. He then went on to point out other anatomical issues, like shortened limbs and an oversized head.
My husband arrived shortly after. I will never forget how happy he looked when he walked through the door. His smile quickly turned to dread as he discovered me red-faced and sobbing.
Soon he had tears of his own as the perinatologist filled him in on the findings.
In the wake of Dobbs, I see things differently. Now, I feel incredibly grateful that I had options, even if they were terrible. I cannot imagine being forced to wait until the fetus died inside of me, hoping it was caught before I lost my uterus or died from infection.
Next, we met with a genetic counselor to discuss the possible outcomes of the genetic testing. She was the kindest, most empathic soul I encountered during this experience. She explained that the findings of the ultrasound were consistent with chromosomal abnormalities.
Next, we spoke with the perinatal cardiologist, who discussed the cardiac abnormalities that lead to cystic hygroma and ultimately to swelling of the organs and tissues called hydrops fetalis, a fatal condition in most cases.
They scheduled me the next day for chorionic villus sampling (CVS), a procedure used to collect placental tissue for genetic testing. We were asked to return to the office to review the results.
More bad news: the diagnosis of a severe chromosomal condition that causes devastating malformations.
My doctor explained that these conditions on their own had extremely poor outcomes, but in combination meant the fetus would likely die before reaching 20 weeks gestation.
He calmly explained my options. The first option was to wait for the fetus to die in utero; a risky option due to the potential for a life-threatening infection. The second option, to terminate the pregnancy with the hope of preserving what was left of my fertility. This was my best option if I wanted to conceive again.
We were shuffled back to the genetic counselor to answer the rest of our questions. I will never forget how kind and informed she was. She explained that Virginia had passed a new law that affected access to abortion providers. I remember the concern she had on her face as she informed us that if we decided to terminate, we needed to act quickly, because in two days I would officially be 13 weeks and over the limitations of an outpatient abortion clinic.
I asked if I could have the procedure done under anesthesia in a hospital. I was informed that even though I had two forms of health insurance, they were both federally administered and would only pay for an abortion if my life was at imminent risk. If I elected to have the procedure done under anesthesia, my out-of-pocket cost would be over $9,000. We did not have $9,000.
The alternative was to have the procedure in an abortion clinic without anesthesia for $675. We made the incredibly difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy and scheduled the procedure for the next day, while the children were at school.
I now know that I was a victim of Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws. Virginia’s Republican Governor Bob McDonnell had signed these regulations into law on July 1, 2011. I got the worst news of my life on Sept. 7, 2011.
For years I have considered that day the worst day of my life. It was tremendously sad, and incredibly painful physically, and emotionally. I felt incredibly angry toward and let down by a system to which I devoted my life and career.
When I needed compassionate healthcare the most, I was left out in the cold to fend for myself.
The first option was to wait for the fetus to die in utero; a risky option due to the potential for a life-threatening infection. The second option, to terminate the pregnancy with the hope of preserving what was left of my fertility.
In the wake of Dobbs, I see things differently. Now, I feel incredibly grateful that I had options, even if they were terrible. I cannot imagine being forced to wait until the fetus died inside of me, hoping it was caught before I lost my uterus or died from infection.
I am grateful that I did not have to drive 800 miles across state lines to the nearest abortion facility, alone. I am most grateful for the beautiful, healthy daughter I conceived one year later. She changed my life in all the best ways and healed my wounded and broken heart. She is here because I had a federally protected right to make my own reproductive decisions.
My doctors had the right to counsel me and help me make the best decision for myself and my family. Sadly, 25 million women no longer have that right.
Critics of HB 12 say that abortion regulation and legislation should be done at the state level. However, too many states have failed women and reproductive healthcare providers.
In a recent survey, 64 percent of OB-GYNs believe the decision in Dobbs has negatively impacted the maternal mortality rate, while disproportionately affecting Black women who already experience maternal mortality at 2.6 times the rate of non-Hispanic White women.
My doctors had the right to counsel me and help me make the best decision for myself and my family. Sadly, 25 million women no longer have that right.
The fallout from Dobbs widens the gap of healthcare inequity by disproportionately affecting women living in poverty who do not have the resources to travel out of state.
The states have also failed healthcare providers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has stated that, “Abortion is essential healthcare,” and 95 percent of OB-GYNs agree with that statement.
Abortion bans have restricted the ability of physicians to counsel their patients appropriately and forced them to practice in fear of penalty and/or criminal prosecution.
These states have not only created a public health nightmare; they have also created a human rights crisis, by infringing on the right to privacy, and freedom of thought. These states have violated principles of equality and non-discrimination as abortion bans and restrictions disproportionately affect people of color, those with disabilities, immigrants, people living in poverty, and other marginalized groups.
Women and healthcare providers need Congress to do what many states have failed to do: Protect their reproductive rights by voting in support of HB 12, The Women’s Health Protection Act.
Thanks to Tallulah Costa, who provided editorial assistance with this piece.
Share your abortion story by emailing myabortionstory@msmagazine.com.
For help, please look to these trusted groups:
- Safe websites to buy abortion medication: Aid Access, Plan C Pills, Abortion Finder, I Need An A
- If you need help affording abortion care, contact an abortion fund near you.
- To protect your digital privacy when planning your abortion, click here.
- For free legal help as a patient or doctor, call If/When/How’s Repro Helpline: 844-868-2812
- For medical advice, contact the Miscarriage & Abortion Hotline: 833-246-2632
- If you need to know the abortion law in your state, look to the Center for Reproductive Rights.
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