American women can no longer afford to remain silent about their abortions.

I don’t regret having an abortion. But I regret not talking about it. As I recently shared publicly, I decided to have an abortion due to an unplanned pregnancy when I was 20 years old. For years I remained silent about it, confiding only in a few of my closest friends. I was sensitive to how my decision might affect me, especially as a single mother at the time, and I didn’t want to make others feel uncomfortable.

When I had my abortion, I was working as a full-time and unpaid intern at the White House. Among the few people I told were my friend who drove me to the appointment and another who was babysitting my daughter for the night. I didn’t ask my manager for time off, fearing the taboo and risk at a time when I desperately needed a job. Instead, I returned to work the next day in physical and emotional pain, bleeding heavily from several pads. Although I probably would have asked for time off to rest and recover from any other procedure, I acted as if nothing had happened because I assumed that was what everyone around me preferred.

The shame surrounding abortion and women’s reproductive issues has become a heavy and pervasive burden for those affected by it. What I didn’t consider at the time was how my silence—part of a larger collective silence—contributed to the enormous stigmatization of abortion in society. It has inadvertently given space to those who wish to infringe on our bodily autonomy. When we remain silent about our experiences, we allow others to continue to erode our freedoms. If abortion care were as normalized as any other medical care, efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade might face greater resistance.

Looking back at the post-Roe world, we see that we didn’t talk enough about abortion. Maybe we thought it wasn’t necessary; after all, abortion is protected by the constitution. Growing up, I never heard of anyone having an abortion, although they certainly happened. And as an adult, even among my mostly progressive friends, women were not open about their abortions, which I have since learned about.

Instead, we were told horror stories of what women endured—failed, self-administered abortions and dangerous pregnancies—before abortion became a fundamental right. We assumed that these stories were part of a dark but distant history. We talked hypothetically about what would happen to millions of women if Roe were ever overturned, never believing it was possible. Experts warned that women would die, their fertility would be threatened, infant mortality would increase, and black women would be seriously affected.

Now we know that all this was not an exaggeration. This is our reality. And our continued silence will only make the situation worse.

For decades, anti-abortion politicians and activists have made it their mission to interfere in the private reproductive decisions of strangers. Stigma and silence gave them freedom to act. And now we’re watching the horrifying results unfold in the daily news cycle. It is extremely important to emphasize how alarming What and confirm that abortion care is normal, safe and good.

Abortion is so common that a quarter of the female population in the United States will have an abortion in their lifetime—meaning we all know and love women who have received or will receive abortion care. This immutable fact, consistent over time, should be enough to destigmatize abortion, but it is not. After I posted my abortion stories, almost every encouraging message I received used the words “brave” or “courageous.” Even those who strongly support abortion rights still consider talking about it an act of bravery, suggesting that silence is still the rule.

The “good” versus “bad” abortion debate that takes place in the national dialogue also perpetuates the stigma of abortion. Most Americans support abortion in cases of rape or when the mother’s life is at risk, and pro-abortion politicians often highlight these cases because they are seen as more acceptable and less controversial. Although polls show that a majority of Americans also support abortion for other reasons, so-called elective abortion is not promoted in the same way.

There are many ways to break the stigma around abortion. One of them is to openly and often share your stories that matter. We know this is true because every day we hear more from women across the country who are helping to change people’s minds. For those without personal experience, it is also important to talk openly about abortion (for example, without avoiding the word). By making abortion care more socially acceptable—viewed for what it is: healthcare that is, in fact, quite normal—we can shape public discourse and build resistance to those who seek to restrict or ban it.

I needed an abortion, and I had one. This is the most common story that I will continue to tell. I encourage you, when you are ready, to share yours.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com.