Since we are on the cusp of a new dark ages with Republican politicians criminalizing or wanting to criminalize birth control, LGBT's, abortions, and pornography. I thought I would share some stories we will see more of if basic medical care is denied women in the name of morality.
It's one of those stories you hate to write about, especially as an advocate for reproductive health. A 13 year-old girl in Pennsylvania, who had allegedly been in a sexual relationship with a 30-year-old man for over a year, tried to induce an abortion by using a lead pencil. It's a stark reminder of what happens when a desperate woman (or in this case child) gets pregnant and will do anything to end the pregnancy when there are no safe means available.
Clara Bell Duvall
Dec. 23, 1896 - March 27, 1929
Clara Duvall, her husband and five children (ages 6 months to 12 years) were living in Pittsburgh, Pa., with her parents due to limited financial resources when she learned she was pregnant again. Clara attempted a self-abortion with a knitting needle. Her doctor, knowing she was seriously ill and in severe pain, delayed sending her to a hospital for several weeks. The Catholic hospital where she died chose to list the cause of death as "pneumonia."
Ruth Irene Friedl
Aug. 24, 1901 - Aug. 21, 1929
Denied a legal abortion though her pregnancy was diagnosed as life-threatening, Ruth Friedl attempted to self-abort by drinking a plant poison, ergot apiol. That night at the dinner table of their home in Denver, Colo., with her husband and two small children present, she collapsed and died.
Pauline Roberson Shirley
June 22, 1910 - August 22, 1940
Pauline Shirley and her six children were living with her mother in Arizona while her husband sought work in California. After an illegal abortion, she began to hemorrhage and was hospitalized. She needed massive transfusions. While Pauline's mother searched the community for donors, Pauline bled to death.
This following link goes to a forced birth site. I guess they like to revel in the pain they cause.
By Friday, August 12, Kris had given up on her herbal abortion plan. Embee and a friend offered to pay for her to have the abortion done at Planned Parenthood on the 13th. But when one of Kris's many housemates came home at 7:30 on Friday evening, she found Kris pale and feverish, and learned that she'd been vomiting. She continued to suffer chills, cramps, and vomiting for the next six hours.
Her condition continued to deteriorate. She passed out at around 11 p.m. Her friends continued to try to care for her, placing her in a cold bath at about 2 a.m Saturday to try to address her feverish sweating. But Kris just went into a seizure, so her friends carried her to the kitchen. One of them noticed that she wasn't breathing and started screaming. One friend called 911 while another attempted to perform CPR on the kitchen floor.
The paramedics arrived at 2:27 a.m and found Kris pulseless. They managed to resuscitate her enroute to the hospital, where emergency room staff put her on a ventilator and tried to stabilize her.
Most of my life these stories have been the exception rather than the rule. But we are entering an era of regression so these horror stories will again become the norm. These stories will become part of the usual press coverage in every city, county, and state without exception. The only differences will be that the poor will be the ones to die this way. As just as before abortion was legal the wealthy can afford to purchase physicians in this country or go to a free country to get the medical care they need.
We can not let these troglodyte politicians that are twisting their Bronze Age religious teachings to suit their need to control society get their way.
Their way is death.