When Did You Find Out You Were Pregnant?

We want to hear from you about when you knew you were pregnant to better understand how this law could affect people.

Maybe you were tracking your cycle and noticed your breasts were sore just a week after having sex. Maybe your periods were never that regular anyway, and it wasn't until a month or more that you thought about taking a pregnancy test.

It varies for every person when and how they learn they are pregnant. But now that Texas has implemented a 6-week abortion ban, the exact timing of that moment could mean a world of difference. SB 8 bans nearly all abortions in Texas, except for medical emergencies, after fetal cardiac activity can be detected, usually around the 6th week of a pregnancy. And because weeks of pregnancy are counted from the first day of a person's last menstrual period, week 6 is typically two weeks after a missed period.

This means the law will likely take away the option of an abortion before some people even learn they're pregnant. Texas abortion providers have said about 90% of their patients came in for care after the 6th week.

But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who, of course, has never been pregnant himself — has said this time frame is generous. He claimed earlier this week that SB 8 will not force people to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term.

Reporter: Why force a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy to term? Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX): "It doesn't require that at all, because obviously it provides at least 6 weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion."

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"It doesn't require that at all, because obviously it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion," Abbott told reporters on Tuesday.

Time was already not on the side of pregnant people in Texas who were considering getting an abortion. The handful of clinics are few and far between; arranging travel and payment wasn't easy before the legal window was slashed to six weeks.

And none of those decisions or planning can begin until you know you're pregnant. That gets particularly complicated if a pregnancy is unplanned or if you experience irregular periods for any number of reasons. Early pregnancy symptoms — spotting, cramping, fatigue, bloating — are vague and can be similar to what a person experiences with menstruation.

So we want to know: When did you find out you were pregnant?

We want to paint a picture of the range of experiences that pregnant people have — and the effects SB 8 and potential copycat laws in other states could have.

Whatever your story is, you can tell us in the comments below. Or tell us what happened via this form. A BuzzFeed News reporter might reach out to you for a future story.

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