{"id":257663,"date":"2021-11-23T16:46:31","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T22:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=257663"},"modified":"2021-11-23T17:20:03","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T23:20:03","slug":"abortion-book-teens-lies-illegal-abortion-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/abortion-book-teens-lies-illegal-abortion-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Abortion book for teens lies about illegal abortion deaths before Roe v. Wade"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The\u00a0pro-choice book<\/a>, “My Body, My Choice,” written for teens, repeats a common lie about illegal abortion deaths before Roe v. Wade<\/em>.\u00a0The book claims:<\/p>\n

[I]n the 1950s and 1960s hundreds of thousands of illegal abortions took place every year. Thousands of women died or suffered serious medical problems after having illegal “back alley” abortions performed by untrained people working in unsanitary conditions. Many thousands more died or were horribly injured as a result of attempting to end their pregnancies themselves.1<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n

Later, referring to the year 1972, the author falsely claimed, \u201cThousands of women were still dying every year, and the majority of them were poor women of color.\u201d2<\/sup><\/p>\n

No, “thousands” did not die every year<\/strong><\/p>\n

The actual numbers were only a tiny fraction of \u201cthousands.\u201d Live Action News has documented<\/a> the true numbers before. In 1965, there were 193 deaths from illegal abortion. In 1966, there were 189. And in 1972, when the book said \u201cthousands” died? The actual number from the CDC was 39.<\/p>\n

Were some abortion deaths not reported? Covering up an abortion meant covering up a crime, and doctors could get in serious legal trouble for doing so. This probably minimized the number of abortions that were covered up, as a doctor would have been reluctant to be charged as an accessory.<\/p>\n