The Search for an Abortionist : The Classic Study of How American Women Coped with Unwanted Pregnancy before Roe v. Wade.
Title:
The Search for an Abortionist : The Classic Study of How American Women Coped with Unwanted Pregnancy before Roe v. Wade.
Author:
Lee, Nancy Howell.
ISBN:
9781497620322
Personal Author:
Physical Description:
1 online resource (349 pages)
Series:
Forbidden Bookshelf ; v.4
Forbidden Bookshelf
Contents:
Cover Page -- Title Page -- Contents -- Series Introduction -- Preface, 2014 -- Preface, 1969 -- 1 The Social Structure of Abortion in America -- 2 The Design of the Research -- Channels of Recruitment -- The Data Collection -- 3 The Characteristics of the Volunteers -- Age and Marital Status -- Household Composition -- Residence -- Education -- Occupation -- Religion -- Attitudes toward Abortion -- Personal Histories -- Motivation for Volunteering for This Study -- 4 The Unwanted Conception and the Decision to Seek Abortion -- The Sexual Relationship in Which Conception Occurred -- Contraceptive Practice -- Recognition of Pregnancy -- Methods of Abortion Considered and Attempted -- Confirming the Pregnancy and Consulting a Doctor -- Consulting the Man Involved in the Pregnancy and Reasons for Terminating the Pregnancy -- Persons Consulted about the Decision -- Summary -- 5 The Search for an Abortionist -- Criterion for Inclusion -- Units -- Relevant Information per Unit -- Inclusion of Abortionists -- Length of Chains -- Multiple Suggestions -- Contacts Mentioned after the Abortionist Was Located -- Results of the Searches -- Summary -- 6 The Abortion -- Self-induced Abortions -- Catheter-type Abortions, Not Self-induced -- Illegal D. and C. Operations, without Anesthesia -- Illegal D. and C. Operations, with Complete Anesthesia -- Legally Performed "Therapeutic Abortions" -- Comparison of the Types of Abortion -- Summary -- 7 Aftereffects of the Abortion and the Return to Normality -- Physical Recovery -- Psychological Recovery -- Routine Medical Aftercare -- Changes in Contraceptive Use -- Changes in the Relationship with the Man Involved in the Pregnancy -- Changes in Other Relationships -- Coming to Terms with the Experience -- Control of Communication -- The Schedule of Recovery from Effects of the Abortion.
Second and Higher-Order Abortions -- Summary -- 8 The Flow of Information through the Population as a Whole -- The Social Structure of Acquaintance Networks -- The Social Structure of Abortion Communication -- The Scope of Message Transmission -- The Channels of Message Transmission: Barriers to the Flow of Information -- Communication through Formal Channels -- 9 Differential Access to Abortion and Abortionists -- When Is a Pregnancy Defined as Unwanted? -- The Choice of Abortion as Opposed to Alternative Responses to Unwanted Pregnancy -- Social Class and the Outcome of Unwanted Pregnancies -- Access to Various Kinds of Abortions -- Access to Legal Hospital Abortions -- Access to D. and C. Abortions Performed by a Physician with Anesthesia -- Access to D. and C. Abortions Performed without Anesthesia -- Access to Medically Untrained Abortionists -- Access to Self-induced Abortions -- Access to Abortion and Abortionists: Conclusion -- Appendix of Research Instruments -- Model of Letter to Referring Agencies and Individuals -- Model Questionnaire Form -- Bibliography -- List of Tables and Figures -- Index -- About the Author -- Copyright Page.
Abstract:
This eye-opening look at the abortion process prior to the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 is now more relevant than ever, with a new introduction by the author revisiting history that is still salient half a century laterIn the years before Roe v. Wade, women seeking to end their unwanted pregnancies had limited options-many of them dangerous, even potentially fatal, and nearly all of them illegal. This groundbreaking work by sociologist Nancy Howell Lee, first published in 1969, takes an intimate look at the entire abortion process-from the initial decision to terminate a pregnancy through the procedure itself and the aftermath-providing an incomparable view of what is still one of the most controversial and divisive issues in America. Based on interviews with one hundred fourteen women who had illegal abortions, Howell Lee's book reveals how the abortions were procured and paid for, and looks at the lasting effects the experience had on the participants. The interviewees were open and honest about what influenced their decisions, how they conducted their search for someone to perform the procedure, and the physical and emotional aftereffects. With many state governments across America currently passing new legislation that restricts and, in many cases, effectively bans abortion, an eventual return to the pre-Roe days threatens the well-being of millions of women, making Nancy Howell Lee's pioneering study more relevant than ever. It is a must-read for all those interested in reproductive rights issues.
Local Note:
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.
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