Back-Alley Abortions in 2011

[MountainLaurel]

Dr. Kermit Gosnell has been charged with murdering one woman and seven newborn babies at his rogue clinic, called the Women’s Medical Society, in West Philadelphia. Though it’s too early to predict this case’s full political impact, it’s certain that anti-abortion groups will use it to push for further restrictions on women’s reproductive rights. But the legislation pushed by these anti-abortion conservatives is what has forced women into such life-threatening situations. Poor women throughout the United States cannot afford safe abortions and in consequence sometimes make extremely dangerous choices.

“Because of the Medicaid ban on abortion funding and state restrictions, poor women in the state and in Philadelphia really face horrific choices about what to do if they have an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy, or a pregnancy that poses significant health problems,” says Rose Corrigan, a professor of politics and law at Drexel University. “So what I’ve seen is that women often shop around for abortion services. Women are so poor that a few dollars really make a difference.”

Corrigan is also a volunteer at the Women’s Medical Fund, a Philadelphia organization that offers financial assistance to poor women seeking abortions. She says that her organization has been advising women against visiting the Women’s Medical Society since the mid-1990s.

“When women would call us we’d say, ‘There’s a reason it's cheap. Don’t go there.’”

http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/149618/back-alley_abortions_in_2011:_how_anti-choice_zealots_force_women_to_go_to_dangerous_clinics_like_dr._kermit_gosnell's

[PeaceNikki]

1. Important story, thanks for posting it.

K&R

[Seedersandleechers]

2. As a nurse who once worked in a family reproductive clinic

for 15 years, I read the grand jury report on Dr. Gosnell yesterday. I had to take multiple breaks in my reading as I could not believe nor stomach what I was reading. I told a friend yesterday that I felt like I had PTSD after the reading.


http://www.docstoc.com/docs/69618219/Grand-Jury-Report----Philly-Abortionist-Kermit-B-Gosnell-Multiple-Counts-of-Murder-(January-2011)

[uppityperson]

5. oh. words fail me. If ANYONE holds this guy up as typical, they are complete idiots

He needed to be shut down a long long long time ago and he now needs to rot.

Yes, closing down doctors who provide abortions can indeed "putting up a barrier to women seeking abortions" but keeping nasty back alley shops like this open is in NO way any sort of moral positive thing.

Sick sick sick.

Hugs to you, am skipping much of it as it is not readable. Sick.

[cutlassmama]

3. Even if the doctor isn't cheap he/she isn't always good.

[undergroundpanther]

4. The problem patriarchy

When the church ruled over humanity and women were property of men,There were ways around a pregnancy.
There were other ways of doing family planning.And like all things,the old methods carried risks too.

If women are to keep control of their own bodies,in the face of (mostly men) who want to control women/wives girlfriends/daughters bodies,then we have to fight and help each other in any way we can,Help each other through crisis,help others take these risks to gain control over thier own bodies in a safest way possible,share information/knowlege, help women who are being abused by religion,partners who are religious,parents who control them and use religion and our own solidarity to undermine patriarchy in any way possible If it takes leaving him/them~leave if it takes opening a spare room to shelter a woman/girl who needs help,do it..etc.And support any domestic violence programs,rape crisis ,other kinds of women's programs,help for moms etc,and most of all step up & educate men and demand no less than equality in this world, and Never shut up,Never tolerate the intolerable, Never back down!!!

http://www.epigee.org/pregnancy/methods.html
http://www.black-rose.com/articles-liz/regaining.html
http://www.naturalmiscarriage.org /

For the religious control freak,
There is abortion support in the bible:
"If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things, and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, `Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.'"

Ecclesiastes 6:3-5

"Why then hast Thou brought me out of the womb? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been, carried from womb to tomb."

Job 10:18-19

This page is useful..for shutting down bible freaks
http://www.elroy.net/ehr/abortion.html
http://www.elroy.net/ehr/abortionanswers.html

A local program that has helps domestic violence survivors in my area.They are very feminist. They helped me,and they help abused men, without diluting the feminist strengths too.
http://www.sarc-maryland.org/

[uppityperson]

6. Your subject line was much politer than mine

Racist uncertified asshole MD stopped from doing back alley abortions with untrained staff