Must read: St. Peters woman changes deeply held views on abortion after giving birth as a teen [View all]

[SpankMe]

https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/parenting/aisha-sultan/sultan-st-peters-woman-changes-deeply-held-views-on-abortion-after-giving-birth-as-a/article_ef317242-307b-5ffc-82d0-c0d605699041.html

Year 2003, before ACA. Conservative Catholic woman gets pregnant as a teen. Abortion provider urges her to discuss it with her mother before getting the abortion. Mothers forbids daughter from getting abortion and forces teen to have the baby.

Girl has no insurance. Looks everywhere for support and pre-natal care and finds none - even from Catholic charities. Can't qualify for any state assistance for a variety of reasons.

Has to go it alone with vaginal delivery with no anesthesia. (Compassionate nurse secretly provides epidural, but that's the only break the girl gets in this story.)

Has painful, long labor with injuries down below during childbirth. All medical care is rationed and cash only and nearly bankrupts family. Has to pull out her own stiches from the injuries because of no insurance.

Bottom line - goes from Republican, anti-abortion girl to Democratic pro-choice woman. Sings praises of ACA.

Bonus: Ends up keeping her baby - a girl for whom she provided education and birth control when she became a teen - a benefit she didn't get from her parents.