I am a survivor who had a choice – I fight every day for the little girls who have no choice

Content warning: This essay contains mentions of sexual abuse.

“You have options.”

Those were the only words I heard as a 12-year-old staring at a positive pregnancy test. Those were the only words that gave me hope for the life I have now.

When I was 5, my then stepfather started sexually abusing me. The older I got, the worse it got. I was supposed to be a carefree child, but I was forced to live in survival mode.

When I was 12, he impregnated me after years of abuse. I remember standing there paralyzed with fear, holding a positive pregnancy test in my hand, feeling like my world had stopped. That was the first time I was told those three words: “You have options.” Even in the depths of my darkest moments, I had my options. A few weeks later, I suffered a miscarriage.

I was too young to really understand what was happening to me. But knowing that there were options, knowing that I had a voice in that situation, that helped me. But today, unfortunately, women and girls across the country no longer have that freedom.

Too many Americans have no choice. And it's all because of Donald Trump.

On June 24, 2022, Donald Trump's Supreme Court majority stripped American women and girls of their constitutional right to choose. In my home state of Kentucky, an abortion ban went into effect with no exceptions for rape or incest. Because of Donald Trump, millions of women and girls woke up that day with no choices. Because of Donald Trump, I woke up that day remembering that I will always be the 12-year-old me. I will always be a survivor who needed her choices.

I thought about all the girls who aren't hearing that they have options.

As my Facebook feed flooded with people celebrating this decision, I thought back to when I was a pregnant 12-year-old and wondered if those same people would look at her and cheer that she has no freedom. I thought of all the girls who are now not hearing that they have options. I thought of the countless girls who had already been robbed of their childhood and now had their future robbed as well.

After I graduated high school and went to college in 2020, I never talked about what I had been through – especially not on social media. But the day roe was different. I opened my notes app and poured my heart out by making my story public. I hit post and threw my phone across the room, not knowing what to expect. I was hoping to change some hearts and minds. I never imagined the impact it would have.

I never thought I would advocate for reproductive freedom, but when I had the opportunity, I knew I had to do it for my younger self.

I am now the first in my family to graduate from college, breaking one generational cycle after another. I never thought I would be an advocate for reproductive freedom, but when I had the opportunity, I knew I had to do it for my younger self.

Over the past few months, I've traveled across the country to raise awareness about the importance of this election and to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris as she fights for us. In August, I took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to protest Trump's abortion bans and give a voice to other survivors across the country.

Trump boasts about repeal Roe v. Wade. He takes pride in being responsible for every single one of the cruel abortion bans across the country, and he calls them “beautiful to behold.” But don't be confused, he's not done yet.

We've heard about Project 2025. It contains detailed plans to ban abortion in all 50 states with or without the help of Congress and to prosecute doctors who send or receive abortion drugs through the mail – something Trump's running mate JD Vance has asked the Justice Department to do.

But Project 2025 does much more. It would restrict access to contraception. It would roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people and use government programs to promote a marriage model that doesn't include them. It would abolish the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education. It would end student loan forgiveness.

If there was ever a time to get involved in politics, it is now.

As young people, we never had the opportunity to speak out. I know that feeling better than most. But things are changing. Today, it doesn't matter where you come from. If you believe in what you believe in, we can all stand together for it. Vice President Harris embodies that better than anyone. She has spent her career fighting for the people and defending our rights. That is the future America needs – a leader who fights for everyone. That is the future I will be voting for in November. Because The is the future that Kamala Harris will deliver as President of the United States.

And to all the survivors reading this: you are not alone. Your pain is valid and your courage is inspiring. And most importantly, your voice is powerful. Together, we can turn our experiences into a force for change.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.