The Story of My Illegal Abortion

[no_hypocrisy]

Sociologist Rickie Solinger in her book Wake Up Little Susie, describes what it was like to have an unwanted pregnancy in 1962. The woman might be “futilely appealing to a hospital abortion committee; being diagnosed as neurotic, even psychotic by a mental health professional; expelled from school (by law until 1972); unemployed; in a Salvation Army or some other maternity home; poor, alone, ashamed, threatened by the law.” There was also an acute social stigma attached to an unwed mother with an illegitimate child; maternity homes were frequently frightening and far away. All counseled adoption. The only alternatives were a shotgun wedding or an illegal abortion.

http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/146516/the_story_of_my_illegal_abortion?page=1

[Ineeda]

1. Highly rec this link/story.

It will take your breath away. We can't go back!!

[barbtries]

2. riveting.

and that's what we'll be going back to if the fundies get their way. :(

[Dogtown]

3. K&R n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. Actually there was a third alternative -

suicide.

There's no telling how many 'accidents' suffered by young women were prompted by a diagnosis of pregnancy.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. My mother told a sad story about the maternity home where she

gave birth to my brother, pre WW2. After the babies were born, even those who were being put up for adoption were cared for by their mothers for 6 weeks, when the girls were allowed to go home. There was one young girl there who desperately wanted to keep her baby, but her father decided that the baby was to be put up for adoption because he was too ashamed for family and neighbors to know that she had been a "bad girl". Since she was a minor, his decision prevailed and after bonding for 6 weeks, her baby was taken from her against her will and she was sent home with her father. She cried and begged and pleaded with her father, but he forcefully removed the baby from her arms and gave it to a waiting nurse.

My mother often wondered what happened to that girl, if she ever had other babies and found happiness in life.

[d_r]

6. damn

thanks for posting this

[sinkingfeeling]

7. My, now 90 yr-old, mother had an illegal abortion at 19 in 1938. She was also lucky and went on to

marry the guy and have 2 kids.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

8. The unwed fathers also suffered angst

I remember a boyfriend of mine during freshman year of college who was torn up with guilt over getting a high school girlfriend pregnant. She had to go away to give birth and then give up the baby. He was in tears several times about it when we were seeing each other.

[uppityperson]

9. k&r with many thanks. We cannot go back.

People who think "why didn't she try something at home", advocate "fall down the stairs" or similar crap should read this article. Seriously, I have had people tell me things like that or "take an herb and that should do it". Women have died trying to self abort.

We can't go back to that.