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Herbs, Knives and Plastic: 150 Years of Abortion in South Africa

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Science, Medicine and Cultural Imperialism

Abstract

To talk publicly about abortion in South Africa today is to break a taboo. To scream privately during an abortion is to risk prosecution for breaking the law. Since the vast majority of abortions are illegal, some back-street operators demand complete silence:

He said to me, Annie, you can’t scream. He said, I know it’s sore, you can’t scream. You have to shut up … I was like biting the pillow and had to come out of there and like — sort of act very normal. I could hardly walk.1

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Notes

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Authors
  1. Helen Bradford
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of History, Union College, Schenectady, New York, USA

    Teresa Meade  & Mark Walker  & 

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© 1991 Teresa Meade and Mark Walker

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Bradford, H. (1991). Herbs, Knives and Plastic: 150 Years of Abortion in South Africa. In: Meade, T., Walker, M. (eds) Science, Medicine and Cultural Imperialism. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12445-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12445-9_7

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-349-12447-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-12445-9

  • eBook Packages: Palgrave History CollectionHistory (R0)

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