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The History Of Abortion In America

Newspaper ad with headline Mesmin's French Female Pills.
Utah Digital Newspapers
Ad for pills said to induce abortion, Provo Daily Enquirer, Dec 15, 1892

Part of the battle in the confirmation process of the Supreme Court nominee is going to be Roe v Wade. So Thursday, we’re asking what life was like for women before abortion was legal in this country.

RadioWest divider.

What was life like for women before abortion was legal in this country? Part of the battle in the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is going to be the Roe v Wade case. And historian Rickie Solinger says it’s not just the question of having a baby or not that’s at stake. Solinger argues unwanted pregnancies robbed women of the chance at a good education, good jobs, and full citizenship. She joins us Thursday to talk about the history of abortion in America.

Rickie Solinger is a historian whose work focuses on reproductive politics. She's the author of six books, including The Abortionist [Indie bookstores|Amazon], Pregnancy and Power [Indie bookstores|Amazon], and her most recent Reproductive Justice, which was co-authored with Loretta Ross. [Indie bookstores|Amazon]

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
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