I am pro-choice. I will always be pro-choice. Despite this though, I would never, EVER get an abortion.

But, that's just me. I could not, in good conscience, give up a child that is a part of me. I would wrack myself with guilt for the rest of my life, and hold myself accountable for the loss of that tiny little blip on the ultrasound screen.

Not every woman is of this mindset. It is important to pay attention to circumstances too. I have an incredibly loving and supporting family that, if I were to get pregnant before I wanted to, would help me along the way so I could stay in school and continue working to give myself and my baby the best life possible.

Not every woman is as lucky as I am.

Not every woman is as lucky as I am, but every woman deserves and reserves the right to make decisions about her own body, namely her own reproductive health.

Abortion is already illegal beyond 24-28 weeks, determined by the possibility of a child's survival outside the womb. I can get behind that because, at 7 months, a baby is almost fully developed and nearly able to breathe oxygen and be a tiny human.

What I can't, and never will be able to, get behind, is doing away with planned parenthood and making abortion completely illegal across the board. I find this issue of legality very similar to making guns illegal: if you do that, people will find a way to get one anyway, and it will be even more dangerous.

Getting rid of abortions and places like planned parenthood is not the answer.

Planned Parenthood does so, so much more. They are designed to provide support and healthcare for ALL women, they aren't just pop-up abortion clinics. They have STD testing and treatment, provide birth control (the very same birth control that you may suggest women try in order to avoid getting pregnant in the first place), give women wellness exams, screen and treat for cancer, and even give general health exams, to name a few.

I don't want to hear about birth control, because it is a woman's choice if she would like to put herself on contraceptives. Many forms of birth control have side effects such as weight gain and even emotional distress, and for some women, the side effects are not worth the risk.

I don't want to hear about condoms, and I don't want to hear about "being more careful". It doesn't matter how careful you are, shit still happens.

Sometimes, a woman just isn't ready to have a child. Sometimes, a woman can't "just have the baby and give it up for adoption", because her body may not be able to handle the strenuous process of carrying and delivering a child. It isn't always simply about "not wanting a kid", because sometimes it isn't safe or practical. And that. Is. Okay.

For those of you who want abortion to be illegal, I ask you this: what if your 13-year-old daughter was raped? Would you want to force her to have the child when she could die, or her body could be permanently and irreparably damaged in the process? Of course, you may say that she is still a child and thus cannot legally make decisions for herself, but I stress to you exactly that: she is still a CHILD.

How can you consciously believe that young girls are mentally, emotionally, OR physically prepared to give birth when she is far from much simpler adult tasks such as driving a car or voting?

What about women for whom there are serious health risks involved during both gestation and birth? What about women who are not financially stable enough to afford a child?

These instances happen far more often than they should, and while they are morally and legally ambiguous, women of ALL ages should have the CHOICE.

If you do not have a uterus, you do not get to have a say in women's reproductive health and rights. Sure, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion on the matter, but it will never immediately affect you if you are sans ovaries. You will never get pregnant, you will never carry a child inside of you for nine months. You will never experience the pain and the miracle of giving birth, or the strength and durability of a mother's love. Oh, and you will NEVER be considered if you try to tell me what I can and can't do with my body.

I will never get an abortion, but I will always believe that a woman has the right to choose. I will be #Prochoice. Always.