ABSTRACT
Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures women undergo in their lifetimes. In the United States, estimates find that 3 in 10 women will have an abortion by the age of 45. Through much of the 20th century, illegal abortion providers were vilified, even while continuing to practice widely. In fact, despite operating illegally, some were quite safe and skilled. The marking of abortion as deviant, simply put, is not historically new and draws on a long-and still active-history of controversy around abortion provision and receipt. Women and men who perform abortions have been vilified for their work since long before legalization. The law has not provided abortion care workers with extensive protection and, indeed, some legal regulations of abortion provision further the stigmatization of this work. Abortion stigma reveals ongoing social debates about gender, sex, and the changing family structure, in addition to existential or spiritual questions about the value of life.
