HOWTO set up a DIY abortion clinic where abortions are illegal

Inspired by the grim news that abortions may soon be banned in South Dakota, one female blogger posts detailed instructions — MAKE magazine style — on DIY backalley abortions. Not a recommendation, and not reposted here with the belief that this would be safe or advisable for any woman.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, when abortions were illegal in many places and expensive to get, an organization called Jane stepped up to the plate in the Chicago area. Jane initially hired an abortion doctor, but later they did the abortions themselves. They lost only one patient in 13,000 — a lower death rate than that of giving live birth. The biggest obstacle they had, though, was the fact that until years into the operation, they thought of abortion as something only a doctor could do, something only the most trained specialist could perform without endangering the life of the woman.

They were deceived — much like you have probably been deceived. An abortion, especially for an early pregnancy, is a relatively easy procedure to perform. And while I know, women of South Dakota, that you never asked for this, now is the time to learn how it is done. There is no reason you should be beholden to doctors — especially in a state where doctors have been refusing to perform them, forcing the state's only abortion clinic to fly doctors in from elsewhere.

No textbooks or guides existed at that time to help them, and the equipment was hard to find. This is no longer true. For under $2000, any person with the inclination to learn could create a fully functioning abortion setup allowing for both vacuum aspiration and dilation/curettage abortions.

Link to "For the women of South Dakota: an abortion manual." (Thanks, Siege and Happler, seen on MeFi)

Reader comment: Neurofuture says,

Here's a post that's compiled other approaches, costing less than $2K. Some nearly free. Bitch PhD features a DIY herbal abortion/miscarriage inducer requiring only parsley and vitamin C. It's generated quite a bit of attention from the academic and science community so she's updating her post to reflect some of the safety concerns around DIY abortion as well as more techniques.

It also includes a link to DIY emergency contraception, or the "morning after pill," using your regular birth control pills. Planned Parenthood provides this easy, medically safe info: Link. Information wants to be free. :)

Bitch PhD also links to feminists now organizing around this issue; personally I'd love to see an onslaught of women bloggers worldwide posting this kind of free, democratic and empowering info.

(Thanks, Andrew Gammell)