New York Times Features Author's Abortion Experience, Decision To Remain Pregnant

Kathryn Rhett, author of the memoir "Near Breathing," on Sunday in a New York Times opinion piece wrote about her experiences undergoing an abortion in college and choosing not to have the procedure during a subsequent pregnancy. According to Rhett, the first time she sought an abortion was after neglecting to use birth control one "unexpected and regrettable" night in college. The second time she considered abortion, she was age 40, married and the mother of two children. Rhett said that after making appointments in two cities, she decided not to undergo the procedure. She said that after her combined experiences, other women "comforted me with their stories as I came to accept my secret and commonplace plight." She concludes, "If I'd had a second abortion, almost no one would have known. ... [A]nd, however much I might have to say, I wouldn't tell the story" (Rhett, New York Times, 6/25).

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