Barbara Hernandez

Barbara Hernandez is the pseudonym of a woman who was raped, became pregnant, and subsequently decided to have an abortion. Now a teacher, she recounts in the following viewpoint the events that led to her decision to abort her pregnancy and to change her opinion on abortion. Abortion is a personal decision that is the best option in some circumstances and should remain legal, she concludes.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How did Hernandez respond emotionally to her experiences of rape and abortion?
2. According to the author, why did her doctor recommend that she get an abortion?
3. Why should abortion remain legal, according to Hernandez"

That terrible night will haunt me for the rest of my life. On March 19, 1989, I went to San Antonio, Texas, on a business trip for a child development workshop. At the time I was...