Because abortions were either very restricted or illegal, the practice went underground for most women (Baumgardner, 22). Most poor women had illegal abortions that had grave risks to the mother's health (Segers and Byrnes, 2). Many were botched, and resulted in disease, hemorrhages, and even death after receiving the abortion (Baumgardner, 22). Most abortions were done in places like alleys, bathtubs, or on the floor of an apartment (Baumgardner, 22). The tools that were used on these women, many times, were not sterile (Baumgardner, 22). Also, because they were illegal, the doctors, or anyone else, that performed these botched abortions were able to take advantage of the women with no problem because they knew that they could get away with it (Baumgardner, 22). Many would overprice, and sometimes they would not do the abortion the first time they said they did, and then would raise the price for a second abortion (Baumgardner, 22). Even more often, many of the women were raped by the men performing the termination (Baumgardner, 22). However, on the other side of the social spectrum, wealthy women at this time were able to go to private physicians who would secretly perform the abortion (Segers and Byrnes, 2). These physicians interpreted the legal exceptions for the law, if there were any, very broadly in order to satisfy their patient (Segers and Byrnes, 2). .
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At one point in the 1930s, women begin to tire of the conditions they were forced to face if they decided to abort their pregnancy (Segers and Byrnes, 3). As many women found out that they were not the only ones being taken advantage of, they began to form groups and speak out against the horrendous treatment done against women (Baumgardner, 22, 23). Physicians and social workers also joined in the movement for abortion reform (Segers and Byrnes, 3). Many phycianans were concerned that they would get into trouble by doing abortions, but did not want to turn women away, because they had seen firsthand the consequences of botched abortions (Segers and Byrnes, 3).
