Join us as historian and scholar Dr. Emily Seitz shares the complex and nuanced history of obstetrics in the 19th century, including when women began entering the workforce as physicians, the complexity of language and legislation of birth, and some of the the origins and intricacies of abortion and reproductive justice. 

Content warning include miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion.

Emily Seitz (she/her) earned a PhD in history and women's, gender, and sexuality studies from The Pennsylvania State University in 2021.  By day she's a non profit fundraiser, and with her husband, Mat, toddler-wrangler extraordinaire to her three children, Isla, Benjamin, and Nathaniel.  In her spare time she's trying her hand at creative writing.  You can find her on Instagram @emilyseitzwrites. 

Print Resources

When Abortion was a Crime (academic book, though very accessible!) written by Leslie Reagan

Our Bodies, Ourselves (resource for women who want to   know more about their health and sexuality, including abortion), by the Boston Women's Health Collective

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource By and For Transgender Communities, 2nd Edition by Laura Erickson-Schroth

Web Resources

Guttmacher Institute

National Network of Abortion Funds

Abortion Liberation Fund of PA

SisterSong

ACLU

National Advocates for Pregnant Women

Liberate Abortion

And of course, if anyone is a history nerd, I want to give a shout-out to the Drexel Legacy Center.  They have a very cool website where people can learn more about early medical education for women and have done such a nice job of making these resources accessible to the public.