Sunday, October 05, 2008

1971: Teen sent home to Arkansas to die from New York abortion

"Becky" was 18 years old when she traveled from Arkansas to New York for a safe and legal abortion. She was 14 weeks pregnant.

The abortion was performed on September 26, 1971. Though she was running a fever the day after the abortion, staff discharged her to return home.

By the time Becky got back to Arkansas and saw a doctor, her condition was critical. She died from infection on October 5.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Christina, i just wondered if cultures were taken at any time from these poor women who died from infection, and if so, were the results known

Christina Dunigan said...

I'm betting that they did, but it wasn't mentioned in the article.

Anonymous said...

Thanks. It seems to me, that post abortion infection is very common.

A friend of mine developed pain and fever after an abortion. The abortion clinic 'helpline' didn't want to know. She quickly became near delerious on the bathroom floor, though she managed to call her GP and was admitted to hospital. She spent a fortnight on IV's for antibiotics. But the abscesses in her body would not respond, so she had a full hysterectomy, she is in constant pain.

Another lady I know of got told she had probably slipped a disc in her spine, when she had fever, pain and what we now know was a raging Strep A infection. The Strep A actually killed her. She's left behind a husband and young family.

I nearly died as my symptoms were not taken seriously, and I'm not alone. (i was initially told by my doctor that my mind was hurting through my womb, and sent home.) Post abortion infection was the most excrutiating pain I have ever felt in my life.

What these women died of, peurperal sepsis, is a disease that should be a disease of the past in the developed world. Yet women are still dying. The symptoms are obvious, very easily recognisable, and the cure is not rocket science - rapid treatment with antibiotics.