Content warning: This story references sexual assault and sexual violence. If you or someone you love has experienced sexual assault, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-6560-4673 for help, support, and resources.
I went in on Tuesday to get my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. All in all, an exceptionally easy process, one that comes as a hard relief after a year lost, a rough slough where all but labor took a backseat in the name of safety and survival. I didn’t feel the shot, but I felt something else; something wretched all the while.