"1. Abortion And Medicine: A Sociopolitical History".pdf

Abortion was widely practiced in the ancient world, with mentions in early medical textbooks. Physicians and lay advocates have played a role in social movements concerning abortion, promoting or opposing it. Today, about two-thirds of the world's women live in societies where abortion is legal, but availability and social climate vary. The US is an extreme example of a society with a strong antiabortion movement. A transnational movement for safe and accessible abortion has emerged, with physicians from developing and developed countries participating. Abortion has been a universal phenomenon throughout history, with women seeking it despite laws and social conventions. The status of abortion is tied to social and political factors, and legality does not guarantee access. Historically, abortion was practiced in ancient societies, including China, Egypt, and Rome, with various methods and providers, including midwives and physicians. The Christian era brought increased regulation and condemnation of abortion, but early monotheistic traditions did not hold a unified position against it. In Europe and the US, the 17th to 19th centuries saw advances in gynecology, but also a conservative medical profession and a flourishing culture of abortion provision by non-physicians. Laws regulating abortion emerged in the 19th century, with the US criminalizing it by the 1870s.