EMMY-winning
From DANGER to DIGNITY:
The Fight For Safe Abortion
Even though most abortions were illegal in the United States before 1973, they were still available. The outcome, however, often depended on a woman's financial situation. Many women who sought abortions risked their lives by going to practitioners who had little or no medical training. Hospital wards were filled with victims of unsafe procedures. Some skilled physicians agreed to terminate pregnancies for their wealthy private patients, charging thousands of dollars. A small number of individuals - doctors, midwives, nurses, and others, provided relatively safe, low-cost, humane but still illegal care.