A South Carolina woman has been arrested and charged for taking abortion pills after seeking medical care associated with labor pains, according to a The State report.
The woman said that she told medical personnel that she had taken the pills because she wanted to terminate her pregnancy, per police documents obtained by Jezebel.
A coroner confirmed that the fetus was stillborn at 25 weeks. Police then issued a warrant for her arrest. While in custody, she posted a $2,500 bond.
Before the Supreme Court overturned abortion protections under Roe v. Wade, South Carolina was one of the few states that banned self-managed abortions. Up until that time, abortions under 22 weeks were legal to perform.
Experts say the woman’s arrest indicates a trend that would lead to more women being criminalized for having control of their own bodies.
“This case predates the reversal of Roe, but we sadly know it’s indicative of where we’re headed. Self-managing an abortion with medication is extremely safe; it is the criminalization of it that makes it dangerous,” Pregnancy Justice acting executive director Dana Sussman told Jezebel. “Like so many cases, the sharing of personal medical information with a provider led to criminal charges. Seeking care or self-managing an abortion should never lead to criminal prosecution.”
Abortion advocates believe states who arrest women for performing abortions on their own may end up doing more harm than good. Forty-five percent of women arrested for ending their pregnancies were charged with crimes because healthcare providers tipped police, according to a report in Truth Out. Women who fear revealing that they are attempting to end their pregnancies could potentially put their own bodies at risk by performing the abortions themselves, the report further indicates.
If you or someone you know is in need of medical assistance with self-managing a miscarriage or abortion, please call the Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline at (833) 246-2632. For legal information and support, please call If/When/How’s Repro Legal Hotline at (844) 868-2812. Both hotlines are confidential.
