Story highlights Handler wrote that she was irresponsible

She compared the abortion debate to sexism and racism

(CNN) Talk show host and comedian Chelsea Handler says she's grateful she was able to get a safe abortion when she became pregnant -- twice -- at the age of 16.

The host of Netflix's talk show "Chelsea" penned an essay on abortion rights for Playboy magazine's "Freedom" issue.

"Like millions of women, I can live my life without an unplanned child born out of an unhealthy relationship because of Roe v. Wade," Handler wrote.

At 16, "I hated my parents and I was having unprotected sex with my boyfriend, who was not someone I should've been having sex with in the first place, never mind unprotected sex," she said.

"I wasn't really playing with a full deck of cards, and when I got pregnant I just thought, Why not? I can have a baby," she recalled. "Maybe I'll have twins and give them rhyming names!"

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