Up against strict laws, Texas women learn do-it-yourself abortions

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Up against strict laws, Texas women learn do-it-yourself abortions

By Ellen Wulfhorst
May 24, 2016

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Susanna was young, single, broke and pregnant in southern Texas where, thanks to the state's strict laws, her chances of getting a surgical abortion at a clinic were slim to none.

So she did what an estimated 100,000 women or more in Texas have done - had a self-induced abortion.

With the help of a friend, some online instructions and quick dash across the Mexican border for some pills, she addressed the issue of unwanted pregnancy in a state where women are finding abortion services too expensive and too far away.

Restrictive laws took hold in Texas in 2013, forcing so many clinic closings that fewer than 20 remain to serve 5.4 million women of reproductive age.


Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/against-strict-laws-texas-women-learn-yourself-abortions-111020286.html?nhp=1

[pmorlan1]

1. Thank you Texas GOP

for endangering thousands of women in Texas. Shame, Shame, Shame!

[haikugal]

2. Women on the waves have been doing this all over the world...we can get around these laws

and abort safely. I'm glad women are not waiting for permission! We can do this!!

[bucolic_frolic]

3. TRUMP'S GOING TO BUILD THAT TRUMP WALL

to keep the citizens from leaving

[RKP5637]

6. Yeah, I've been thinking the same. n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

13. He always has this need to dominate and control

narcissists, the most extreme ones are very very sadistic - with a smile

It's no laughing matter

[RKP5637]

16. The fools that vote for him have no idea ... n/t

[ReRe]

4. This news makes me cringe...

... shame on those uncivilized evangelical back-country republicans in Texas. To be young, or not so young, a woman, and in an unwanted impregnated situation is a nightmare that I wouldn't put my worst used-to-be BFFE through.

Something's going to have to be done before many young women's lives are lost to abortion attempts gone awry.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org

[askeptic]

5. Now they're resorting to "infanticide" laws

Last edited Tue May 24, 2016, 06:37 PM - Edit history (1)

as a means of further oppressing and terrifying women.

the conservative hypocrisy reeks as they seem to be only concerned with one right, but hate the fact that there are others that prevent them from requiring women to take a monthly pregnancy test.

It is ridiculous in this day and time that this is even an issue.

[RKP5637]

7. I just can't comprehend why a woman would vote for republicans, and especially

a critter like Trump.

[Demobrat]

20. If they have to have children they don't want and can't take care of

EVERYBODY has to dammit!

That's why.

[RKP5637]

22. ... but why would they vote for Trump? n/t

[Demobrat]

36. Because Trump think women who have abortions

should be punished. And so do they. Because they got stuck with some loser's brats and misery loves company.

[RKP5637]

38. Yep! n/t

[smirkymonkey]

51. Didn't Trump want Marla Maples to have an abortion? She didn't, and ended up giving birth to their

Daughter Tiffany. What a flaming hypocrite!

[Demobrat]

52. What do you expect from a guy who

thinks it's great when people lose their homes, because he can swoop in and snap them up cheap?

[StevieM]

11. I think your numbers are off with regards to 80 percent being married.

But a solid majority, I think about 60 percent, already have other children. Many of them cannot afford to raise another child.

[askeptic]

18. Sorry - misremembered (!)

I edited that - don't know how I got that figure in my head. Teaches me to check first. Thanks for calling me on it in such a nice way!

[StevieM]

19. No problem. It happens to all of us at some point. (eom)

[Ilsa]

28. More women are going to skip going to the OB to have

Their pregnancy confirmed. If they are smart, they'll purchase another pregnancy test at a different store to verify if they are pregnant before aborting on their own.

[RKP5637]

8. Such a backward place. n/t

[riversedge]

9. and some of these women will die or get severe infecions. damn the GOP

[Igel]

10. In 2011 there were 46 clinics.

https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-texas And, yes, Guttmacher is trustworthy on this kind of this; they have a dog in this fight, two actually: pro-abortion-availability and pro-accuracy.

A few more "providers" then than there were clinics, but since the 2013 laws went into effect most people conflate "provider" with "clinic". It makes the numbers seem more catastrophic.

Many of the places with few to no clinics now had few to no clinics then. Some counties had no providers then or now. If you're in the middle of nowhere, you tend to not have much population around and that means there's not sufficient demand to maintain a fiscally viable clinic.

[Gothmog]

12. This is a horrible effect of the Texas TRAP laws

[fasttense]

14. When I was in my teens and abortions were illegal

Everyone knew some poor girl who had died or were permanently sterile from do-it-yourself abortions and back alley doctors.

I guess the pill is safer but we should be able to get safe and legal abortions no matter where we live.

[Demobrat]

21. The ones I knew were sent away to school.

I had a good friend whom I didn't even know was forced to have a baby and give it up until she told me years later. I believed she went away to school, got mono, and had to come home.

[smirkymonkey]

42. So tragic.

There is no way we can go back to those days. These politicians clearly hate women and only want to punish them. They could give a damn about "unborn babies". Their agenda becomes clearer by the day.

[FuzzyRabbit]

15. I remember the 1960s

when every day in the news there was another story about a woman found dead in a dumpster because of a botched abortion. The "pro-lifers" won't be happy until this happens again, over and over.

[Ilsa]

26. Until it happens to their own daughters. nt

[raccoon]

39. Then they'll be the first to look for a good, safe abortion for her. nt

[fasttense]

44. You are so right.

Juries were refusing to convict doctors and women who helped others get abortions. But it didn't keep people from dying or being seriously injured for life from botched abortions.

[CrispyQ]

17. Fuck republicans. All of them. And a share of dems, too.

[Nirgendwo]

23. Conservatives really DO love women--

...to death. Shame on them.

[Brother Joe Observes]

24. Is this 2016 or 1620?

[Dont call me Shirley]

25. 1620. The oligarchs want us back to the era of no rights and neo-feudalism. Opress, Opress.

[elmac]

27. So, in Texas

religion trumps constitutional rights. They must have seceded from the Union otherwise I'm sure the feds wouldn't tolerate this

[valerief]

29. The right to safe abortions is like pregnancy. Either you're pregnant or not. Either the right to a

safe abortion is legal or not. All these "sorta legal" bullshit laws make safe abortions totally illegal.

[Eleanors38]

41. Yep. "Sorta legal" drug-war laws Still maintain prohibition.

[riderinthestorm]

30. So incredibly sad. I never thought id see women in that situation again in the US nt

[smirkymonkey]

43. I really can't believe this is happening here.

We're getting closer to Third World with every passing day.

[Thespian2]

31. In Texas

the rich don't give a shit about abortion laws...their pregnant daughters and mistresses take a "vacation" and return "unpregnant"...they have the money to do whatever they want...punishing poor women is one of their specialties...

[okieinpain]

48. +1000

[niyad]

32. decades ago, the feminist health movement was talking about teaching women how to do

abortions. figured that if enough women could do this, it wouldn't matter how many stupid, woman-hating gestational slaver laws were passed. they couldn't jail all of us (well, that was what we thought then)

that, of course, was long before plan b-etc.,

[allan01]

33. hope they never use one of these ,,,

http://ebookportugal.net/0ca147f24eec7007-bent-wire-coat-hanger.html
my late mom in her years as a young woman working for alimeda county califrnia witnessed a number of back alley abortions and we are returing to that . ugh.

[emsimon33]

34. As always, very informative

[AlbertCat]

35. And the 19th century starts again in 3...2....

Why do anti-choice nuts never ask themselves why it's legal in the 1st place? Do they think it's just a whim?

[Surya Gayatri]

37. So it's back to the back alleys, this time over the border in Ciudad Juárez.

The Repubs who have forced these kinds of desperate measures are criminal assassins.

[sarcasmo]

45. Kick

[noneko]

46. Texas is lapsing into a third world state.

Next you know they're going to want to secede. (trust me, it's a popular idea out there)

[DesertRat]

53. They just had a vote to secede which was narrowly defeated

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/13/politics/texas-secession-debate-gop-convention/

[kentauros]

54. That's a convention vote.

Not a vote for the general public. Most Texans do not want to secede. Just a vocal minority. And I'm fine with that vocal minority seceding themselves out of the country entirely.

[DesertRat]

55. I lived in TX for three years

I know that the majority do not want it. They just need to stop electing crazy people who do!

[kentauros]

56. Well, if you did live here,

then you know that we don't all vote repub, right? Conservatives are getting the majority of votes, right now, due to gerrymandered districts. That won't last. And when it fails them, it will be catastrophic for conservatives.

[noneko]

57. Oh great...

one day I'll need a passport to visit my family. -__-

[okieinpain]

47. wonder if she and the ones doing the illegal abortions voted. n/t.

[riversedge]

49. what is illegal?

[okieinpain]

58. Like it or not abortions are technically illegal

In texas. That's why they are having to do dangerous at home abortions.

[Mz Pip]

50. I remember pre Roe v Wade

Not only was abortion illegal but BC pills were not always easy to get. Some doctors would only issue prescriptions to married women.

Why anyone thinks returning to a time like this is a good thing is mind boggling.