Those who came of age after 1973 cannot remember the days before Roe v. Wade, the American Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Back Rooms presents the moving and graphic testimony of women-and men-who cannot forget.
This landmark history vividly conveys the stark choices women with unwanted pregnancies faced before abortion was legalized. Here are poignant stories of illegal "back-room" abortions and harrowing accounts of self-induced miscarriages, as well as the testimony of women who were forced to give birth on society's terms, not their own. The chapters are individual stories of women facing difficult circumstances in desperate need of solutions-from fleeing the country to secure a safe abortion before the Roe v. Wade decision as well as views of the doctors who performed the procedures and the activities of advocates for abortion rights.
At a time when mounting pressure from anti-abortion activists increasingly challenges Roe v. Wade, this explosive volume lends authority and moral clarity to the debate.
Ellen Messer (Kingston, New York) is Chief Executive Officer of the Samson Group, a company devoted to teaching communication and business skills to both individuals and corporations. Kathryn E. May (Kingston, NY) is a psychologist in private practice with a longtime interest in women's issues.
235 pages