DOCTORS OF CONCIENCE; THE STRUGGLE TO PROVIDE ABORTION BEFORE AND AFTER ROE V. WADE.

by Carole Joffe

Explores the lives of the heroic and committed physicians who have worked to ensure safe abortions for women in the face of neglect--and worse--from hospitals, national medical organizations, and colleagues.

Genres: Feminism, History, Nonfiction, Medicine, Health, Politics, Social Justice

Hardcover

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Carole Joffe is Professor in the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) program in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, and is the author of Dispatches from the Abortion Wars (2010) and several other books on abortion provision.

Reviews

[Saige · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare that a non-fiction book affects me so viscerally, but this was a real gut-puncher. I know that political conditions now have made abortion a serious topic for debate, yet we often lose the human aspect of the argument. This book did a fantastic job of focusing on the women for whom abortion is an important service. It also did a great job of talking about the actual physicians who provide abortions. Their role in the whole process is vital, and they also make huge changes in regards to abortion policy. Joffe laid out the history of abortion clearly and with very readable language. She wove the stories of 45 different abortion providers together to paint a picture of a health care system that needs some serious changes. Pro-choice or not, this is an important look at a medical problem facing the U.S. The one problem that I had with it (which is not at all the author's fault) is that the last chapter was not super relevant, given that it has been more than 20 years since it was published. I now need to go do some more research to get current statistics. But overall, a very good and highly informative read.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative book...a lot of this covered stuff I already knew from other things I've read, and I kind of wish it went more in depth into providers' lives pre-Roe v Wade, more into harassment they faced, et cetera, and less into the "looking into the future" stuff. Though maybe this is because this book was written in the mid-90s and therefore we've already seen the future.

Page 205 was particularly disturbing for me, considering this.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about doctors who performed abortions before it was legal in many states. Specifically, it's about doctors who thought they had a moral duty to help women with unwanted pregnancies, either because they believed that women have a moral right to decide for themselves whether to continue a pregnancy, or because they wanted to prevent the horrific consequences of attempts to self-abort. The book was published in 1995, but it is relevant today, not only for historical interest, but because with Dobbs, it looks like many states are returning to that terrible period in American history. For me, the most poignant chapter concerns the lengths to which women would go to terminate their pregnancies. With the development of pills that can terminate pregnancies, women have more options today than they did prior to 1973. Still, the medical care that doctors can give their patients has been adversely affected, including miscarriage care (for wanted pregnancies) and care for pregnancies that threaten women's health or lives. (Yes, every state has exceptions to abortion bans, but they are often not clear and doctors who terminate a pregnancy to protect their patient's health worry about facing criminal charges.) Those unaware of these consequences of anti-abortion laws, or who have forgotten what it used to be like, should read this book.

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit wonkish but a vital volume on the doctors who served before and after Roe. Joffe makes a strong case for one of the reasons why abortion has been needlessly marginalized. The medical establishment refused to include abortion services in hospitals. So abortion was pushed to separate clinics. Moreover, while there were doctors of conscience (many interviewed in this book) who helped saved women, there were an equal number of those who looked the other way or condemned anyone for helping women (as well as doctors who ratted out abortionists themselves). A solid volumes for those, like me, who are getting their hands on any and all history books for the hard and painful fight ahead of us.

[Bookewyfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s nice to hear from the doctors who know what zero access to abortion healthcare looks like. We must have providers—and we must have them in every town, city, village, rural area. Access for ALL is VITAL. Keep abortion healthcare legal, keep it funded, keep it safe. There are some horrific stories in this book. How could we ever think of going back?

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're so used to thinking of pre-Roe abortionists as the stereotypical back-alley butchers. It was really eye-opening to learn about the doctors who performed the procedure out of a sense of caring and respect for their patients, and those who even went to jail for doing the right thing.

[Robin Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carole Joffe provides and in depth and vital look at the pre-Roe generation of providers, many of whom have become icons in the abortion rights movement. For anyone not of age during the early days from before the decision and through the FACE act, it's a must read for getting a clear grasp of movement history from a provider's viewpoint.