She says her self-managed abortion “saved her life”

Synopsis

Nancy Cárdenas Peña had an abortion safely at home with abortion pills when she was 17. At this time, Texas was passing waves of restrictions on health care before putting a near-total abortion ban in place. She recalls the panic of a positive pregnancy test and the relief she felt when she could end her pregnancy safely. What made the difference, she says, was the access she had to information and resources. Today, Nancy works to make sure other people have the information they need to make their own decisions about their health care, especially in communities where people now rely on each other to understand their options under Texas’ abortion ban.

Nancy spoke with Abortion in America in Austin, Texas to bring greater attention and awareness to the experiences of people living in states with abortion bans.