Asking for a friend: ‘My partner broke up with me after I told him I had an abortion years before we met. Will this be a deal-breaker in future relationships?’

'Your healthcare is no one else’s business, and it is up to you how much you want to share'

Caroline West

Q: I had an abortion several years ago, and it was absolutely the right thing for me at the time, so I don’t have any regrets. However, I recently told my partner of almost a year, and he has essentially broken up with me over it. He hadn’t really expressed any views on abortion before this, and it wasn’t something we ever really talked about. He told me I was horrible and hasn’t really spoken to me since apart from a couple of one-word-answer texts. I’m not sure what to do right now. Is it worth trying to fix this? If I’m being honest, I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t regret what I did, and I have been so shocked by how quickly and angrily he reacted that I am just not sure where to go from here. I feel anxious that this is going to be a deal-breaker in future relationships, and that makes me a little scared. I shouldn’t be judged for my past and I should be allowed to move on, but this makes me doubt this.