Jane: An Overview.
From 1969-1973, a time when abortion was illegal in the state of Illinois and most of the United States, Jane operated as a secret underground abortion service that helped a total of 11,000 pregnant women gain access to safe abortions [1]. Illegality of the procedure meant that any abortions done by a medical professional had to be done in secret which resulted in costs up to $1000 and difficulty finding a doctor willing to perform the abortion. [2] Abortion services existed all across the United States in places such as Seattle, California and New York state before and after Roe .v Wade.[3] Although each of these services aimed at giving women a reproductive choice, some such as Jane and the Abortion and Birth Control Referral Service in Seattle, were safer than others.[4]
The Jane service started with Heather Booth, a student at the University of Chicago who provided an abortion referral for a friend. [5] One call turned to many and Booth began to realize a growing need for women to access safe abortions. She quickly began to recruit other women to help. Understanding the need for secrecy when running an abortion referral service, the group of women decided to call themselves ‘Jane’, a code name that protected their identities when advertising and running the service. [6] The codename Jane was used in both print ads and via telephone when women seeking an abortion would call the service and ask to speak to ‘Jane’.[7] May 3rd 1972 the Jane service was raided by the Chicago Police and seven members were taken into police custody and each charged with 3 accounts of performing abortions and conspiracy to commit abortions.[8] After the arrest, the remaining Jane members continued to perform abortions in secret.[9] It was not until the landmark case Roe v.Wade legalized abortion in January 1973 that the case against the seven members was dismissed and the service disbanded.[10]