Nearly two years ago, I started thinking about getting an IUD instead of continuing to take the birth control pills that had served me well for more than half a decade. I had always liked the idea of being free of synthetic hormones while still being confident that I wouldn’t get pregnant. The thought of getting an IUD floated around in the back of my mind, but I was satisfied enough with my pill that I wasn’t jumping at the chance to change my routine.

A few months ago, though, something changed. I went from working part time to working a full time, well-paying job at a family friendly workplace with quality benefits. My relationship with my partner got more stable, and we moved together into a nice neighborhood. He started saying that if I got pregnant, he could be ready to be a parent, and I started feeling like I could, too. For my entire life, I had been convinced that I was so unready to parent that I would have an abortion should I become pregnant. Now at 23, I know I’m still n...