Misdirected
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What led Alejandra to seek an abortion and how did the referral go wrong?
At the Nocturneist, we are careful to ensure that all stories comply with healthcare privacy laws. Details may have been changed to ensure patient confidentiality. All views expressed are those of the person speaking and not their employer.
This is The Nocturne. I'm Emily Silverman. Today's episode features Alejandra, a fourth-year medical student whose path into medicine was shaped by an experience she never expected to have as a patient. As a college senior, Alejandra discovered she was unexpectedly pregnant. Seeking an abortion, she trusted a referral from her primary care clinic only to find herself at a crisis pregnancy center, where she was met not with the care that she had requested, but with misinformation, prayer, and pressure to continue her pregnancy. In my conversation with Alejandra, we talk about reproductive healthcare, trust, and the lasting impact a single clinical encounter can have. We also explore how that experience ultimately inspired Alejandra's commitment to family medicine and to becoming the kind of physician who helps patients make their own decisions, free from judgment or coercion.
Here is me and Alejandra. I am sitting here with Alejandra. Alejandra, thanks so much for coming on the show.
Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
So
Alejandra, what
was it
like to stand on stage and tell your story? Um, it was quite the experience. I had never done anything like that before. But it was also a huge, huge release. Um, it was a story that I had been living with for 10 years at this point. And to be able to share such a vulnerable story with an audience, of course, uh friends and family that uh already know the story, but also complete strangers that I've never met. It was a big leap of faith, but it was incredibly, incredibly rewarding.
It was an important story for us at the Nocturneists too, uh, because we did a whole series called Post Roe America. So after Roe fell, we went to red states and blue states and purple states and talked to clinicians about the impact of the Supreme Court decision on their practice and you know their day-to-day and things like that. But I don't think we got any stories in that series of like individuals who were referred to these crisis pregnancy centers. And And I just I hadn't ever met someone who was like openly talking about that. And so We were really grateful that you were able to tell the story and then come on the show and talk a bit about it. And I was wondering if you could maybe bring us back, you said ten years you had been living with the story, but even before that, tell us a little bit about growing up and your family and your community and what were the conversations around abortion and reproductive health when you were growing up.
Yeah, I grew up in primarily Los Angeles. Family moved to conservative Southern California, inland empire. And I think that's where I actually first started. to hear or learn about what abortions were. I I remember at the time It was, oh, I'm blanking on the name for the prop that was on the ballot uh to legalize abortions. And I remember I was in ninth or tenth grade and the big like statement of the time was like one in four women get abortions. And I remember standing there with my f four like girlfriends and we were just like giggling like, oh, it's gonna be one of us four. I don't know if the other three ever got an abortion, but I definitely was that one of the four. And As for like my household Although I do come from a conservative Latina religious mainly Catholic background.
Conversations were still very open, which I'm very grateful for. I remember I have a family member who Um, had had an abortion and it was a secret, but my grandmother actually shared that secret with me. when I was probably around fourteen, so around the same age, so I was very aware that this was an option. I was very aware that this is like okay. And something that can be done if if needed. So luckily I had a very positive language around it. Even then, uh of course there's still the Catholic guilt, if you will, of of having to need one, go through one.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What led Alejandra to seek an abortion and how did the referral go wrong?
0:00–5:59
2
How did growing up in a conservative Latino Catholic family shape Alejandra’s view on reproductive health?
5:59–10:11
3
What was the experience like at the crisis pregnancy center and how did it affect her trust in healthcare?
10:11–15:08
4
How did Alejandra finally locate a legitimate abortion provider and what obstacles did she face?
15:08–18:55
5
What impact did the traumatic experience have on Alejandra’s mental health and career path?
18:55–24:14
6
How did working in a genetics lab and later medical school shape her commitment to patient‑centered care?
24:14–28:30
7
Why does Alejandra plan to focus on reproductive health within family medicine?
28:30–32:41
8
What advice does Alejandra give to patients and clinicians to avoid crisis pregnancy centers?
32:41–39:19