Women have always needed, and sought, abortions. Yet, historically, mainstream medical institutions have avoided incorporating abortion care into everyday health care, marginalizing abortion providers, and pushing access out of reach for many.
For too long, the stigma, controversy, and occasional violence associated with abortion has kept it out of mainstream medicine. However, despite being sidelined, abortion providers have continued to give quality care to people.
This timeline presents this history of abortion with key moments in how abortion was segregated from mainstream medicine, how that has changed over time, and how the practice of providing abortions continues to move forward.
