Abortion deaths in 1976

The Centers for Disease Control deigned to count the following abortion deaths in their most recent Abortion Surveillance Summary, for 2004:



Today I'll look at deaths in 1976. The CDC counts 14 -- 11 legal, 2 illegal, and 1 unknown. Remember that "illegal" deaths can be like Myrta Baptiste -- cases in which the woman thought the abortion was legal and safe, but after she died the CDC discovered that her doctor's license wasn't currently valid and so counted it as illegal.

I know of 5 abortion deaths in 1976, which means the CDC has at least 9 other deaths I don't know about:

Maria Gomez bled to death from gashes in her uterus big enough to allow her baby's head to be pushed through and left in her abdomen.

"Gloria" Roe suffered abortion injuries that left her paralyzed for the five months between her abortion and her death. She left six children without a mother.

"Rosa" Roe went to Mexico for three criminal abortions, the last of which left her fatally injured. Her family indicated that she chose this abortionist because she was somebody Rosa knew and was comfortable with.

Diane Smith developed fatal sepsis from a perforated uterus.

Cycloria Vangates died after her cervix was lacerated during an abortion.

For more abortion deaths broken down by year, see this post. Or you can place them in the context of other abortion deaths in the 1970s, and the years surrounding the 1970s:



For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



For more abortion deaths broken down by year, see this post.

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