The Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c.1970– 2000

dc.contributor.authorHodes, Rebecca
dc.date.accessioned2016-05-05T09:13:22Z
dc.date.available2016-05-05T09:13:22Z
dc.date.issued2013
dc.date.updated2016-05-05T08:21:26Z
dc.description.abstractThis article explores the medical history of abortion in South Africa during the last three decades of the twentieth century, focusing on the role played by doctors in their clinical encounters with abortion patients. It also examines doctors’ views of the state’s contested policies on abortion, while locating these policies within the wider global movement towards the legalisation of abortion. Many doctors and public health officials employed by the apartheid state occupied an ambiguous space, taking a racist and paternalistic approach to their patients, while also providing the services these patients demanded for the protection of their health, including contraception and abortion. I combine the analysis of medical articles, laws and policies governing abortion with the oral-historical recollections of doctors, to examine how changes in abortion laws were understood in medical writing and practice during this time. Two key issues dominated public debates about abortion from the 1970s: the procurement of abortion on psychiatric grounds and the health outcomes of illegal abortions. Ultimately, changes in abortion laws reflected the political transition from apartheid to democracy, during a period in which political leaders and women’s health advocates championed the legalisation of abortion despite public opposition.en_ZA
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057070.2013.824770
dc.identifier.apacitationHodes, R. (2013). The Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c.1970– 2000. <i>Journal of Southern African Studies</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19437en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationHodes, Rebecca "The Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c.1970– 2000." <i>Journal of Southern African Studies</i> (2013) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19437en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationHodes, R. (2013). The Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c. 1970–2000. Journal of Southern African Studies, 39(3), 527-542.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0305-7070en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Hodes, Rebecca AB - This article explores the medical history of abortion in South Africa during the last three decades of the twentieth century, focusing on the role played by doctors in their clinical encounters with abortion patients. It also examines doctors’ views of the state’s contested policies on abortion, while locating these policies within the wider global movement towards the legalisation of abortion. Many doctors and public health officials employed by the apartheid state occupied an ambiguous space, taking a racist and paternalistic approach to their patients, while also providing the services these patients demanded for the protection of their health, including contraception and abortion. I combine the analysis of medical articles, laws and policies governing abortion with the oral-historical recollections of doctors, to examine how changes in abortion laws were understood in medical writing and practice during this time. Two key issues dominated public debates about abortion from the 1970s: the procurement of abortion on psychiatric grounds and the health outcomes of illegal abortions. Ultimately, changes in abortion laws reflected the political transition from apartheid to democracy, during a period in which political leaders and women’s health advocates championed the legalisation of abortion despite public opposition. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - Journal of Southern African Studies LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 SM - 0305-7070 T1 - The Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c.1970– 2000 TI - The Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c.1970– 2000 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19437 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/19437
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationHodes R. The Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c.1970– 2000. Journal of Southern African Studies. 2013; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19437.en_ZA
dc.languageengen_ZA
dc.publisherTaylor and Francis onlineen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentCentre for Social Science Research(CSSR)en_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.sourceJournal of Southern African Studiesen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjss20/current
dc.titleThe Medical History of Abortion in South Africa, c.1970– 2000en_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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