When Abortion Was a Crime：Women, Medicine, and Law in the United States, 1867-1973

Asweapproachthe30thanniversaryofRoev.Wade,it'scrucialtolookbacktothetimewhenabortionwasillegal.LeslieReagantracesthepracticeandpolicingofabortion,whichalthoughillegalwasnonethelesswidelyavailable,butalwayswiththreatsforbothdoctorandpatient.Inatimewhenmanyyoungwomendon'tevenknowthattherewasaperiodwhenabortionwasacrime,thisworkofferschillingandvitallessonsofimportancetoeveryone.Thelinkingofthewords'abortion'and'crime'emphasizesthedifficultandpainfulhistorythatisthefocusofLeslieJ.Reagan'simportantbook.HerstudyisthefirsttoexaminetheentireperiodduringwhichabortionwasillegalintheUnitedStates,beginninginthemid-nineteenthcenturyandendingwithRoev.Wadein1973.Althoughillegal,millionsofabortionswereprovidedduringtheseyearstowomenofeveryclass,race,andmaritalstatus.Theexperiencesandperspectivesofthesewomen,aswellastheirphysiciansandmidwives,aremovinglyportrayedhere.Reagantracesthepracticeandpolicingofabortion.Whileabortionshavebeentypicallyportrayedasgrim'backalley'operations,shefindsthatabortionprovidersoftenpracticedopenlyandsafely.Moreover,numerousphysiciansperformedabortions,despiteprohibitionsbythestateandtheAmericanMedicalAssociation.Womenoftenfoundcooperativepractioners,butprosecution,publichumiliation,lossofprivacy,andinferiormedicalcarewereaconstantthreat.Reagan'sanalysisofpreviouslyuntappedsources,includinginquestrecordsandtrialtranscripts,showsthefragilityofpatientrightsandraisesprovocativequestionsabouttherelationshipbetweenmedicineandlaw.WiththerighttoabortionagainunderattackintheUnitedStates,thisbookoffersvitallessonsforeveryAmericanconcernedwithhealthcare,civilliberties,andpersonalandsexualfreedom.