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My younger sister had an abortion in early 1974, just months after Roe V. Wade went into effect. Dad put her in his airplane and flew her to Kansas City for the procedure as nobody in Oklahoma was doing it yet.
I thought at the time, and still think, it was the right thing for her at the time. She was a Senior in highschool, 17 years old, and the guy that got her pregnant was the sacker at the grocery store she worked in and only a Junior in school. At that time SOP for pregnant teens was to send them off to a home for unwed mothers.
I feel like I'm somewhat responsible for her decision to have an abortion. During her first trimester I took her out for a day on a Saturday, first visiting a couple of young unwed mothers who were struggling with their new lives of diapers and baby shit. Trying to make ends meet on very little income, etc. Then I took her to visit a couple of girls I knew who had undergone abortions, the last one being a Registered Nurse. They talked untill well after midnight with me outside, leaving them to their women talks.
The subject still comes up once in a while, but on the whole I think she's still happy she didn't subject herself to the life of unwed mom at age 17.
I'm a lot older now, anybody who was around in 1974 will appreciate that fact, and I've come to the conclusion that the decision for or against abortion should be between a woman, her Doctor, and her God. As a male I can't give birth and really don't think I should have much say in the matter.
I did tell my Sister I thought she should have the abortion, but that ultimately the decision was hers. That was also the attitude our parents took, I'm glad she made the decision she did.
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