Happy 4th of July! Keep Supporting Reproductive Rights!
Web Correspondent
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund
On the Fourth of July, we celebrate our country's independence and democracy. Living in America is a great privilege. We have many rights and protections under our government. For the last 35 years, we've had the promise of safe, legal abortion. Roe may not have realized its full potential, yet (many women struggle to find a doctor, afford the procedure and keep the state from meddling in their lives) there is still plenty to celebrate when it comes to reproductive rights.
The history of illegal abortion is ugly and it's a shame we don't talk about it. If more people knew how bad it was, I believe we would be less likely to take our freedom to choose for granted.
Dr. Garson Romalis, a physician in Canada, spoke about practicing medicine before Canada legalized abortion:
The first month of my internship was spent on Ward 41, the septic obstetrics ward. Yes, it's hard to believe now, but in those days, they had one ward dedicated exclusively to septic complications of pregnancy.
About 90% of the patients were there with complications of septic abortion. The ward had about 40 beds, in addition to extra beds which lined the halls. Each day we admitted between 10-30 septic abortion patients. We had about one death a month, usually from septic shock associated with hemorrhage.
Dr. Thomas Allen practiced in America and became a member of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH). In the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper he said:
I saw the effects of illegal abortion firsthand. Hospital wards were crowded with women with infections and blood loss caused by illegal or self-induced abortions. Many, if they didn't die from gas gangrene or something else, were permanently injured and would never be able to have children.
Remember that women were not given bodily autonomy. We fought for it. In the streets and on Capitol Hill, we won our independence. No longer are we regulated to septic wards to die in shame. But this war of independence is not over. We are fighting for our lives and the battle is a global one.
"Botched abortions accounted for an estimated 11 percent of maternal fatalities … More than 40 percent of serious pregnancy complications treated at the hospital's maternity clinic are said to be the result of clandestine abortions."
30 percent of maternal deaths result from botched illegal procedures.
A 22 year old newlywed died from complications of an ectopic pregnancy and the restrictive abortion laws that meant doctors couldn't treat her until it was too late
The number of women hospitalized after unsafe illegal abortions in these countries:
Bangladesh: 71,800
Brazil: 288,700
Chile: 31,900
Colombia: 57,700
Dominican Republic: 16,500
Egypt: 216,000
Mexico: 106,500
Nigeria: 142,200
Peru: 54,200
The Philippines: 80,100
So is there good news in all of this mess?
Yes. Because we know that contraceptives, education and safe, legal abortion will save lives. If we work to ensure those goals, we will gain freedom.
When South Africa legalized abortion, it saw a 90 percent decrease in its abortion-related mortality rate.
And from Planned Parenthood:
The Netherlands, which has a non-restrictive abortion law, offers free abortion services and has one of the lowest abortion rates in the world, as well as widely accessible contraceptives.
We know the truth. By continuing to support safe, legal abortion, and ensuring that women and families have access to family planning, we can make sure that abortions are safe, legal, and rare. Don’t take your reproductive rights for granted—support them!
Trackback: http://www.plannedparenthoodadvocate.org/trackback/411/ILUJXVHd/
Wonderful post on an important topic, Em!
Keep up the great work, both Em and PP!
By Ouyang Dan on 10/07/2008
