"People around the world have used abortion to control their reproduction at every point in history, and in every known society — regardless of its legality.

In the United States, abortion was originally legal before quickening, the point at which a pregnant person feels  the fetus move, generally at around four or five months. Abortion was widely practiced, primarily done using herbs with the assistance of midwives and other female healers. Some of the earliest anti-abortion laws were poison control measures, passed in the mid-19th century in response to the proliferation of chemical abortifacents that became popular at the time. But by the late 19th century, most states had laws banning abortion except to save the life or health of a pregnant person.

The move to ban abortions occurred for a variety reasons. First, it was part of a backlash against the growing women’s rights movement, which advocated for “voluntary motherhood.” Even though the movement did not support abortion, the demand for birth control was a threat to male dominance. Restricting abortion was part of an effort to control women and confine them to a traditional childbearing role. It was also a way for men in the newly-established medical profession to wrest control over the highly-profitable business of childbirth from midwives, whom they condemned for performing abortions.

The attacks on abortion access were rooted in racism and white supremacy. White doctors often targeted Black midwives for particular condemnation. People seeking to criminalize abortion were also motivated by increased immigration, specifically of Catholic immigrants, and the declining birthrate among U.S.-born white Protestant women in the late 1800s. The U.S. government and the eugenics movement were concerned about “race suicide” and wanted white Protestant women to have more children.

“When I was 15 and pregnant, abortion was illegal. I was denied any choice—I had a baby that I gave up for adoption. This experience has been a driving force in my life. I became an OB/GYN; I do abortions because I am totally committed to making sure that other women have the options that I didn’t have.”

Despite the legal prohibitions, people continued to have abortions, although surreptitiously. They were subjected to fear and shame, which took a heavy toll on their lives, their health, and their families. While there were providers who practiced safely, finding one often depended upon a woman’s economic situation, her race, and where she lived. Women with money could sometimes leave the country or find a physician who would perform the procedure for a high fee. Poor women and women of color suffered disproportionately. For the most part, they were either at the mercy of incompetent practitioners with questionable motives, unable to find anyone who would perform the procedure, or forced to resort to dangerous self-abortions. In desperation, they inserted knitting needles or coat hangers into their vaginas and uteruses, douched with solutions such as lye, or swallowed strong drugs or chemicals."