The following are comments collected in an online survey from women and girls in Cayman who have had abortions:
- “It is scary, all I ever wanted was to be a mom, but I knew I wasn’t in a position to raise a child at the time. In the end I wish I hadn’t, but I know I did what was best for me – we would have all suffered if I hadn’t had the abortion.”
- “I was a 15-year-old girl and wasn’t ready in any way to be a mother. I was a child myself. I have never regretted my decision. I wouldn’t have been able to provide any sort of positive quality of life at that time for a child.”
- “If I had carried on with the pregnancy, I would be depressed and financially unstable. Of course, I would have loved the child but I did not want it and at the time I could not have handled it. I needed the help of mental health services in the years before and after and I feel I would not have had the time, strength or wherewithal to get myself to the mentally stable place I am in today. I have never regretted my decision though I have felt shame around it, I have no doubts that it was the right decision for me.”
- “When I was younger I always assumed that if I got pregnant I would keep the baby regardless of my circumstances. I was raised in a Catholic household and raised to believe abortion was an unforgivable sin. When I became pregnant at 19 years old, I was unable to turn to my family for support and my views on the subject changed dramatically. It took me years to come to terms with the trauma of the situation. I believe that abortion should be accessible and free to those who choose that option.”
- “I was still a child myself at 16 years old, and that mistake would not only have limited my life, but I would not have been able to care for, nurture and educate that baby to the best of my capacity. Eventually I had my first baby at 28 years old and I am so grateful that by then I was able to give him the start in life he deserves.”
- “I have had two abortions, both overseas. I was too young and not ready financially and emotionally. The first pregnancy was with a boyfriend who had two other kids and did not take care of them. For the second abortion, it was the wrong time as we were struggling financially, we went ahead with it and I told myself never again. My partner and I now have three children and even though it was an emotionally draining experience and very traumatising, I believe it was the right choice to make.”
- “I still haven’t told my family or any of my friends here for fear of what they would think. There is such a huge stigma in Cayman around abortion. I’ve had to make peace with the fact this will just have to be a secret between me and my partner. I hope one day things change, and that Cayman finds the same empathy and understanding that I had to go overseas to find.”
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