THE EDITOR, Sir:

I had an abortion more than 30 years ago. I felt very lucky at the time to find a doctor who was willing to perform the procedure.

I decided to have an abortion because I was 18. I did not feel I had the strength to handle an infant and my studies at the same time. I did not think it fair to ask my mother to help me with a baby because she had already spent a lifetime raising children.

The gentleman involved objected to my having an abortion. Beneath his educated veneer was a man heavily influenced by cultural norms, i.e., he wanted a 'yute' despite the fact that he, being a student, had nothing to feed a child and had no plans of leaving university to get a job and support a child. I recall being shocked at the disconnect in his mind.

I feel no guilt. When I consider how the trajectory of my life would have been altered - I would have been a poor, single mother with no university education - I feel it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I feel nothing but gratitude to the doctor who was willing to help me. My life mattered to me more than that of the embryo.

TRUTH TELLER