Dear Representatives and the Board of Health:

I am writing to ask that you please take into account the wide-reaching and ultimately detrimental effects on women's health that TRAP laws will cause.  I ask not only for myself, but for all women in the Commonwealth of VIrginia that will at some point require access to affordable quality women's health care.

In late December 2011, I became pregnant after a barrier method failed.   Even at 28, with a master's degree, I was teaching an average of 30 credits a year at a community college, and still waiting tables on the weekends to make ends meet.  The decision to end my pregnancy was a very difficult one--countless tears, lost sleep, and uncertainty took its toll on me.  However, despite my assumption that I would never be able to go through with an abortion, I arrived at the decision to terminate.  One never knows how they will react until faced with this situation.  

Though it was far from easy, and the road to my emotional recovery has been long, I am grateful that I had the option available to me.  Please do not take this option away from women who are even less fortunate than me--unemployed, very young, or lacking in social support.  The role of democratic representation is to represent ALL citizens, not just the ones who share similar views. I hope that you and your colleagues will take this to heart, and remember that true success requires speaking up to protect and honor your fellow citizens.  I wish you the best of luck in your careers, and hope that you will be compassionate toward women like me.  Thank you so much for your consideration.