What do you know about pre-Roe days?

Question

I was surprised to learn a few things from this article about pre-Roe days. (warning: not for the faint-hearted) -

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/health/views/03essa.html?ref=health#

"The familiar symbol of illegal abortion is the infamous “coat hanger” — which may be the symbol, but is in no way a myth. In my years in New York, several women arrived with a hanger still in place. Whoever put it in — perhaps the patient herself — found it trapped in the cervix and could not remove it. "

What stories have you heard about women and botched abortions prior to Roe v Wade?

If abortion became illegal this year, would women use new (different) ways of having an abortion than what women used in the past? What would they use?

Answer 1

As for your first question I ask that you watch a great movie called "If these walls could talk".  As for your last questions I hope we never have to find out. As of now I have seen girls who were unable to afford abortions or scared to get one so they hurt themselves by hitting there stomachs, drug use, or drinking in hopes of ending it.  I just hope that we all become better people and realize that our hearts must belong to the living and not the cells that could live.

Answer 2

I read that article. It was a real eye-opener. Everyone who is anti-abortion ought to read it.

Answer 3

I once read an interesting (true) book called "The Story of Jane".  Jane was the name used by a Chicago collective that performed abortions.  They were mostly women, and most of them were housewives or students.  One woman joined because she was a suburban housewife with several children already.  She was diagnosed with lung cancer and told that if she was treated immediately, odds were good that she would survive.  Delaying treatment decreased her odds significantly.  Before they started treatment, she was told she was pregnant.  The chemo would kill or damage the fetus, and they would not proceed with the chemo as a result.  She had to go before a group of doctors and hospital administrators to plead for an abortion, because waiting nine months meant her odds of surviving cancer would narrow to something like 10%, as opposed to the 90% odds if she started chemo immediately.  The board denied her request.  They said that since she had a small chance of survival if she waited, that was good enough.  She had to convince two psychiatrists that she would kill herself if not allowed to abort before the hospital agreed to it.  She had an abortion,m had chemo and was fine.  She then joined Jane to help other women who were denied the same rights.  

Reading the stories of these women was an eye opener.  I think women today would use many of the same methods, since there wouldn't be much else available.  If you're poor and desperate, you have no real choice.

Answer 4

Abortion was illegal in the US. Rich Women left the country and had Abortions done privately elsewhere. Making Abortion legal was making it available to low income and Working Class Women. Women had limited access to Credit, Divorce was based upon Fault. When couples Divorced frequently one would claim to have committed Adultery to get the Divorce granted.

This was before Conservative Icon Ronald Reagan an Actor who was Governor of California, signed No Fault Divorce into Law. Other states followed, then in the 1970s the flood gates opened and Divorce which was seen as unseemly. Even was seen as a Character flaw and scandalous became common.

Marital Rape Laws followed, Women whose previous Sexual History was looked at in Rape cases, was excluded from Consideration. So if the Rape Accuser was into Group s*x, and had s*x with over 600 Men it became inadmissible in court. The reality is there was a huge power shift in the Law.

Many so called Feminists failed to realize that Men were also involved in Equity Feminism. Seeking to expand opportunities for their Daughters, Sisters, Nieces, Wives and Mothers. It was sold to America as a Social Justice issue. Women broke into previously All male Careers. The Glass Ceiling was breaking and shattering.

Funny during the Civil War there were Women Lawyers, Doctors, Business Owners etc. One of the early Medal of Honor Recipients was a Woman Doctor. This history was ignored. As Women enjoyed prosperity and the opportunity to be Stay At Home Moms during the 1950s and 1960s. The development of the birth Control Pill changed the Women's movement dramatically.

In 1960 seven of ten households in the US had biological parents with their Children. Today that number is less than three in ten. We have had a fundamental societal change.

Answer 5

In Latin-America, where abortion is still illegal, hangers and needles are still common.

Some non-doctors perform the abortion with non surgical instruments. It is heart breaking.

The rich can travel to another country or pay a lot to a real doctor, but the poor  are trapped.

My aunt died like that. She didn't know better and went to this "specialist", she died of a hemorrhage  that never stopped. She was just 30.

The family assumed he used a kind of needle.

Answer 6

I do not know anything about the past. I can not imagine being stupid enough to have any of those things done to me. Why not just herbally terminate a pregnancy? Safe and easy. Any mid wife, even back in the 40s and 50s would be able to tell you how to herbally terminate.

Answer 7

My mother, who grew up in San Diego, says that it was common for girls to go over the border to Tijuana to get abortions. They would make a day trip and come back that evening. However, since these were unlicensed and poorly trained practioners, it was risky getting an abortion there.