The 1960s were unsafe for reproductive healthcare, brought to public attention by the horror stories produced in which millions of women got hurt or died yearly pursuing unsafe, illegal abortions that didn’t follow proper protocols.
The Jane Collective: Women's Rights in Secrecy
Historical Context
The Janes (2022), HBO
Linda Rocawich, 1992, The Progressive
"Women who resorted to self-induced abortion typically relied on such methods as throwing themselves down a flight of stairs or ingesting, douching with, or inserting into themselves a chilling variety of chemicals and toxins ranging from bleach to potassium permanganate to turpentine to gunpowder to whiskey. Knitting needles, crochet hooks, scissors, and coat hangers were among the tools commonly used by women who attempted to self-abort."
Linda Rocawich, 1992, The Progressive
"In the 1960s, an average of more than 200 women every year died as a result of botched illegal abortions."
Geoffrey R. Stone, 2016, Litigation
This stemmed from the notable impact on lower income women unable to afford flights or bribes, sparking unwavering desperation in these women to escape their situation despite the law. These stories of injustice were what sparked the Jane Collective.