Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-366) and index.

An open secret -- Private practices -- Antiabortion campaigns, private and public -- Interrogations and investigations -- Expansion and specialization -- Raids and rules -- Repercussions -- Radicalization and reform.

This is the first book to examine the entire period during which abortion was illegal in the United States, beginning in the mid-nineteenth century and ending with Roe v. Wade in 1973. In her eloquent account, Leslie J. Reagan uncovers the secret history of abortion in America. Although illegal, millions of abortions were provided during these years to women of every class, race, and marital status. The experiences and perspectives of these women, along with their families, physicians, and midwives, are movingly portrayed in this prize-winning book. Reagan's analysis of previously untapped sources, including inquest records and trial transcripts, reveals the fragility of patient rights and raises provocative questions about the relationship between medicine and law.

A digital reproduction is available from E-Editions, a collaboration of the University of California Press and the California Digital Library's eScholarship program.