You would be excused for perceiving abortion as a relatively contemporary happening. Yet there is abundant proof to propose that abortion has been a perpetual aspect of societal life for millennia. Typically, the narrative of abortion’s history is recounted as a legal one, nonetheless, abortion has persisted irrespective of, perhaps even against, legal control.
The necessity to govern fertility pre or post intercourse has existed as long as conception. The Ancient Egyptian Papyrus Ebers is commonly regarded as some of the primary written proof of abortion methods.
Tracing back to 1600BC, the manuscript details practices where “the woman expels the conceived in the first, second, or third timeframe”, suggesting herbs, vaginal douches, and suppositories. Similar techniques for inducing abortion were documented, though not endorsed, by Hippocrates circa the fourth century BC.
An ordinary part of ancient citizens’ lives, abortion was also reflected in their artistic expressions. Publius Ovidius Naso, more commonly known as Ovid, a Roman poet whose collection of writings Amores, narrates the protagonist’s emotional turmoil as he observes his lover enduring a mismanaged abortion.
Initially, Ovid’s apprehension is fixated on the danger of losing his beloved Corinna, not the unborn child. Subsequently, he implores the deities to disregard the “demise” of the infant and safeguard Corinna’s life. This uncovers some crucial facets of historical perspectives on abortion.
21st-century deliberations on abortion predominantly touch on quandaries of life and personhood, which was not always the situation. The Ancient Greeks and Romans, for instance, did not necessarily subscribe to the belief that a fetus was alive.
Early philosophers such as St. Augustine (AD354-AD430), for instance, distinguished between the embryo “informatus” (unshaped) and “formatus” (shaped and enlivened with a soul). Eventually, the prevalent demarcation was drawn at what was recognized as the “quickening”, which signaled the moment when the pregnant woman could sense the baby’s first movement. This stipulated that the fetus was animated (or possessed a soul).
Since a delayed menstrual cycle was frequently the initial sign of an anomaly, and a woman might not have acknowledged her pregnancy until much later, a significant amount of abortion recommendations would focus on resolving menstrual irregularities or obstructions rather than ending a potential pregnancy (or fetus).
Therefore, a significant portion of historical abortion counsel does not explicitly mention abortion at all. It routinely boiled down to personal judgment whether or not an abortion had, in fact, occurred.
Indeed, formulations for “abortifacients” (substances utilized to end a pregnancy) were accessible in medical manuscripts like those from the German abbess Hildegard von Bingen in 1150 and in household recipe collections featuring remedies for other common predicaments well into the 20th century.
In the western world, the quickening distinction gradually fell out of favor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nevertheless, women persisted in obtaining abortions irrespective of evolving beliefs concerning life and legislation. In actuality, certain sources alleged that such procedures seemed to be more prevalent than ever.
‘A Prevalence of Abortions’
In 1920, Russia became the pioneering nation in the world to authorize abortion, and in 1929, renowned birth control advocate Marie Stopes lamented that “a prevalence of abortions” was spreading across England. Comparable assertions from France and the US also indicate a purported rise.
These allegations accompanied a surge of theatrical productions, poems, and novels that incorporated abortion. Notably, in 1923, Floyd Dell, the American periodical editor and author, released a fresh work of narrative, Janet March, wherein the protagonist bemoans the prevalence of novels featuring abortions, asserting there “were atrocious occurrences abundant enough in novels,
However, the literature from the early 20th century, featuring numerous narratives inspired by women’s actual encounters, indicates a broader spectrum of abortions compared to the typical portrayal of the lower-class and desperate illicit procedures of the 1900s.
As an illustration, the English writer, Rosamond Lehmann, describes an alluring “feminine conspiracy” among women seeking abortions, providing support with “discretion, compassion, medications, and hot water bottles,” in her 1926 novel The Weather in the Streets.
These writings are part of an extensive legacy of abortion narratives that serve as precursors to modern activism. For instance, We Testify is an organization committed to empowering and giving voice to individuals who have undergone abortions. Moreover, Shout Your Abortion is a social media initiative where individuals openly share their abortion experiences online without feeling “sadness, shame or regret.”
Abortion has an intricate and rich history, yet above everything else, these texts – ranging from the Egyptian papyri of 1600 BC to today’s social media posts – demonstrate that abortion has been and continues to be pivotal in our history, our existence, and even our artistic expressions.
Image Source: zffoto / Shutterstock
