The underground abortion network called Jane sent women to abortionists and, eventually, the members of Jane performed abortions themselves, even though they had no medical training. In this quote, they describe how abortions before Roe were not as dangerous as people claimed:
“Everything they were learning about abortion and women’s bodies was fascinating to the members of Jane. Not only with the information essential for them to do their work, but they realize that all women needed it to take control of their lives. In researching abortion, service members had discovered that they could rely on a medical profession that stigmatized all abortion practitioners as quacks and butchers, no matter how competent they were. While some doctors performed abortions themselves and others worked closely with the illegal practitioners they trusted, the profession’s public position was that abortions were complex and dangerous.”
Laura Kaplan The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service (New York: Pantheon Books, 1995) 137
Identified as Nick, the Chicago abortionist (who was not a doctor) that the feminist group Jane sent most of their abortion patients to was running an S&M publishing business with his wife. (102)
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