Welcome to Pregnancy Guide
Abortion 2004 Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
History of Abortion - What Is the History of Abortion?
from:Abortion is not a new concept. In fact, abortion has been around for hundreds of years. The history of abortion begins with the ancient Greeks and Romans, and, of course, continues even today. Early abortions were performed in rather frightening and unscientific ways. These ways primarily dealt with herbs – dubbed “abortifacient” – sharp objects, and even by placing severe pressure on the expectant mother’s abdomen.
Abortifacient herbs were used for hundreds of years, and some people still use them today, although this is not recommended because of the possibility of physical danger to the woman. These herbs were also not guaranteed to work, and sometimes the user would get ill, but the herbs would fail to cause an abortion. In the 11th century, a missal on herbal remedies was written, and in it were listed the herbs that can cause abortion; thus the beginning of abortifacient herbs in the history of abortion. Herbs listed in this book were black and white hellbore, pennyroyal, Italian catnip, sage, savory, cyperus, and soapwort. Of these, recently there are two cases of death caused by pennyroyal. Other herbs such as birthwort, rue, tansy, opium, worm fern, and silphium (which is now extinct) were also used. Some people even used iron sulphate and iron chloride. Some of the most interesting remedies used herbs that modern people use everyday, sometimes even in food: egg, dill, marjoram, thyme, parsley, lavender and juniper.
The history of abortion continues with the development of current methods of abortion. The curette, which is a sharp implement used to clean the walls of the uterus, was initially invented in France in the 18th century. The process of dilation and curettage has been used since the 19th century. Vacuum-type implements were developed in the 19th century, but were only used in Japan, China, and the former Soviet Union until the mid-20th century when the process was introduced in the United States and Britain. In the late 20th century, drugs like mifepristone were developed to chemically produce an abortion.
The legal history of abortion is somewhat complicated. Abortion laws established by the church in early times concentrated on the point in the pregnancy called the “quickening”; this term commonly referred to the time when the expectant mother can feel the baby move for the first time. After the quickening, abortion was considered taboo, and was considered illegal. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, clergymen, doctors, and others interested in social reforms began to make movements to ban abortion altogether. The 20th century brought the legalization of abortion in most Western countries, but this was, and still is, the subject of great debate and controversy. In the United States, abortion during the first trimester (or the first 12 weeks) of pregnancy was deemed legal by the Supreme Court in 1973 in the famous court case Roe vs. Wade, beginning a new phase in the history of abortion.
Warning: file(http://www.searchfeed.com/rd/feed/TextFeed.jsp?trackID=Q3835304521&pID=62408&cat=abortion+2004&nl=5&page=1&excID=) [function.file]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
in /home/cwatchco/public_html/preparents/abortion/datas/searchfeed.php on line 8
Abortion 2004 Specific links
Abortion 2004 News
DC becomes national abortion battleground with bill that would ban procedure ... - Washington Post
DC becomes national abortion battleground with bill that would ban procedure ... Washington Post In the district, abortion is legal before a fetus is considered viable outside the womb and after viability to protect the life or health of the mother. In 2004, the DC Council wiped an outdated criminal ban on abortions off the books. |
Head of Abortion Rights Group Will Step Down - New York Times (blog)
 Politico | Head of Abortion Rights Group Will Step Down New York Times (blog) Nancy Keenan, 60, who has led the prominent abortion rights organization since December 2004, said she was stepping aside to make room for a new, younger leader. “I have been making it a priority, this next generation of Millennials,” Ms. Keenan said ... Head of NARAL Pro-Choice America to step down at end of year Head of abortion rights group to step down after election Keenan to end leadership of abortion rights group |
Gay Marriage, Abortion Back in Campaign Spotlight - ABC News
 ABC News | Gay Marriage, Abortion Back in Campaign Spotlight ABC News Abortion and gay marriage. For years, they've been lumped together as the paramount wedge issues of US politics — hot-button topics in the vortex of sexuality, personal freedom and public policy. Yet these two divisive issues, prominent as ever this ... Abortion, gay marriage return to campaign spotlight You are here: Blog / Will Gay Marriage Hurt Obama with African Americans? |
Gay marriage, abortion back in campaign spotlight - Seattle Post Intelligencer
 ABC News | Gay marriage, abortion back in campaign spotlight Seattle Post Intelligencer For years gay-marriage and abortion have been lumped together as the paramount wedge issues of US politics. Yet these two divisive issues, prominent as ever this election season and still firing up the liberal and conservative bases of the two major ... The Facts: Gay Marriage Didn't Tilt 2004 Election Who's the Phony? Romney or Obama? Obama didn't flip-flop on gay marriage |
Gay marriage, abortion back in campaign spotlight - USA TODAY
 USA TODAY | Gay marriage, abortion back in campaign spotlight USA TODAY NEW YORK (AP) – Abortion and gay marriage. For years, they've been lumped together as the paramount wedge issues of US politics — hot-button topics in the vortex of sexuality, personal freedom and public policy. By Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images Mitt ... Gays, abortion back as wedge issues |
Sebelius speech embraces church, state separation - Bryan College Station Eagle
 ABC News | Sebelius speech embraces church, state separation Bryan College Station Eagle AP WASHINGTON -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius paid homage to religious freedom and the separation of church and state in a graduation speech Friday at Georgetown University that was briefly interrupted by an anti-abortion ... Health secretary addresses health care, religious freedom in protested ... New Fight on a Speaker at a Catholic University Cool reception for dissenting Catholics at US universities |
Same Sex Marriage-Abortion-End of Life Issues…ohhhhhh my! - Corning Leader (blog)
Same Sex Marriage-Abortion-End of Life Issues…ohhhhhh my! Corning Leader (blog) In 2004, though, he rejected it (affirming civil unions) on grounds of his Christian convictions that marriage is a “sanctified” union of a man and woman. Now he has reversed that position, again offering his Christian convictions (loving neighbors and ... |