I know someone who had an unsafe, at home abortion. She made it through her forced miscarriage safely. Many would consider her "lucky" because her health did not, as far as she knows, take a serious hit. We know that she is not.

My friend is a college student. My friend is an exceptionally hard worker. My friend cares passionately about social issues and has made herself educated on the plights and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, the disabled community, the impoverished community, and much more.

Without hesitation, she lets her friends and acquaintances stay in her home during times when they find themselves without a place to go. My friend is incredibly independent, strong, and tough. My friend is a giver. My friend excels in school. My friend forgot to take her birth control.

When she realized she was pregnant, she was lost. My friend is someone that I go to for answers. Many people see her as a resource. When people find themselves in a tough spot or need sound advice, they go to her. For the first time, she did not have the answers.

I watched my friend, who is one of the strongest people I know, break down. For the past few weeks, she had blamed her missed periods on stress - stress from school, from work, from family issues, from personal relationships.

I watched her panic, running through every possible scenario that could happen now that she had discovered she had a life-altering bunch of cells growing inside her.

We went to Planned Parenthood, together. On our way over, she told me that her parents would be furious if they found out she set foot in a Planned Parenthood for any reason, let alone for help with an unwanted pregnancy.

They could do little to help, as they did not have the resources to provide the care she needed. They told her of facilities in Kansas and Illinois, which could provide the service she needed.

The issue was, she could not use her parents' insurance. Without this, she was looking at costs which were upward of $1000, plus money for gas and hotels. As someone with multiple jobs and bills to pay, this was simply not an option.

After much research, she found a website that provided abortion pills for $90. This company is based in Europe, and its function is to do what the United States cannot - provide help for people with unwanted pregnancies.

Because many of the people who come to them are living with abusers or cannot rely on help from their caregivers, the site makes the purchases hard to track and give vague information on their website.

While this is helpful for those in situations where having an abortion in secret could be life-threatening, it is also nerve-wracking because it was not prescribed by a doctor she met in person.

My friend felt that it was better to pay the $90 for a drug she was unsure about through a company she was unsure about than pay over $600 to receive legal help from a medical professional.

I worried about her safety if she took the pill because we had no idea what it would do to her body or how to help her if something went horribly wrong. I was worried about her safety if she chose not to take the pill because she spoke of ending her life rather than living with an unwanted child.

Banning safe, legal, accessible abortions does not make you pro-life.

I was 12 years old when I got my first period. I did not get on birth control until I was 14. If god forbid, I had been raped in between that time and did not have access to the medical help I needed, I would have a 6 - 8-year-old child at this moment. I probably would not have finished high school, nor would I be in college or writing this article for you today.

In Ohio, lawmakers are proposing a bill that would make this horrible thought into reality.

Children, who probably do not even know how babies are made yet, are being assaulted and, if these laws pass, will be forced to carry out their pregnancy. Forcing a twelve-year-old to carry out a pregnancy and give birth could literally kill them.

Banning safe, legal, accessible abortions does not make you pro-life.

Now, you may think "okay, I agree that a 12-year-old shouldn't be giving birth. But, older people, people over 18, they should be forced to have that fetus. They could just put it up for adoption!"

In 2017, more than 690,000 children spent time in U.S. foster care. Many children will be in foster care for years before getting adopted if they get adopted at all. In fact, in 2017, more than 17,000 young people aged out of foster care without permanent families. Sexual abuse was reported by 81% of those girls, and 68% were sexually abused by more than one individual.

These statistics show that, instead of having a fulfilling life after being put into foster care, the cycle will likely continue.

Banning safe, legal, accessible abortions does not make you pro-life.

Banning safe, legal, accessible abortions does not make you pro-life.

Banning safe, legal, accessible abortions does not make you pro-life.