I had two abortions within the decade when this procedure first became legal in 1973. A reader may wonder why: Was I a victim of incest, rape, or involved in an abusive or unsupportive relationship? Or was I ignorant of the reproductive process?

Perhaps my economic circumstances precluded my caring for another human being? Was the pregnancy unsustainable, were fetal abnormalities detected, or was my life at risk if I continued the pregnancy? Maybe it was a choice I made because being pregnant at the ages of 18 and 20 was inconvenient or unwanted. Or did my birth control method fail? There are innumerable reasons why people choose to terminate a pregnancy.

My reasons are private, though. My family, my health care providers, and my partners involved with those decisions decades ago are the only ones who know why I chose to terminate those pregnancies and the only ones who should care.

Like every other health care decision I’ve had to make for myself over the years, I was grateful to have had access to high-quality, legal health care. Both procedures went well in clinics that were professionally managed, by staff who were compassionate and nonjudgmental. In addition, the care was affordable. The procedures I had did not impact my ability to have children and I did, later in life. Again, the reasons why I chose to become a parent are private.

Women and pregnant people in many parts of the country live in fear of what will happen if they find themselves in need of abortion services, which is — no matter what anti-abortion activists claim — health care.

Last month, a midwife was arrested in Texas for performing abortions without a license in a state (among a growing number of others) where this medical procedure has been criminalized. The charge against her is a second-degree felony, with a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

In Texas, abortion is prohibited under all but the most dire circumstances. Currently, 19 states have banned or curtailed access to abortion care.

Reproductive health care is essential to the well-being and safety of every person who becomes pregnant. The reality is that, without the full array of options, the state of being pregnant may be a risk to the person’s overall well-being and their ability to make choices about other aspects of their lives: economic, educational, professional and, in some dire medical cases, their mortality.

Being pro-choice isn’t just about being supportive of abortion access — it’s about seeing women and pregnant people as fully human with the potential to parent if they choose and are able to or if, for any and all reasons, they make a different decision.

Liz Brown is a retired educator who lives in South Deerfield.