New York Times Letters To The Editor Respond To NYT Article On Self-Induced Abortions In Hispanic Communities

The New York Times on Monday published several letters to the editor responding to a recent article about self-induced abortions among Hispanic women. Summaries appear below.

~ Anne Davis: The article "underscores the fact that after 36 years of legal abortion, some women still struggle to obtain reproductive health care because they don't understand or trust the American medical system," Davis, medical director of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, writes. She adds that physicians "need to remember that reproductive health care remains a challenge," and "[w]e must work within our communities to ensure that women know how to navigate the health care system" (Davis, New York Times, 1/5).

~ Melanie Zurek/Silvia Henriquez: Although the article called abortion "safe, legal and inexpensive," the procedure is "not inexpensive" and to call it so, "especially in the current economy, is ludicrous," Zurek -- executive director of the Abortion Access Project -- and Henriquez -- executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health -- write. Additionally, the "widespread availability" of abortion is "perhaps true for some in New York, but not for all women," they write, adding that "glossing over the challenges of gaining access to abortion services ... neither reflects the reality of abortion delivery nor the reality of women's lives" (Zurek/Henriquez, New York Times, 1/6).


~ Carol Roye: The article "points out that for some women abortion care has not changed in more than 100 years," Roye, assistant dean for research and a professor of nursing at Hunter College, writes. She writes that "[c]onfidential care" for abortion services is "the law of the state," adding, "One would hope that pharmacists would tell women about these facilities." Roye concludes, "Poor women in other states may not have a choice" (Roye, New York Times, 1/5).

~ David Cohen: The article is an "excellent reminder of the struggles facing poor women who seek basic reproductive health care in this country," Cohen -- an associate professor at the Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law and a board member of the Women's Medical Fund in Philadelphia -- writes. One of President-elect Barack Obama's first agenda items should be to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which denies Medicaid coverage for abortion services, Cohen writes. He adds, "In the meantime, poor women will, at best, turn to private assistance through local abortion funds, or, at worst, turn to risky medicine that is the modern equivalent of the back-alley abortion" (Cohen, New York Times, 1/5).

~ Rachel Roth: The article "highlights the need for better information" regarding services that would provide assistance for abortion or contraception, Roth, co-author of a report about abortion financing, writes. She adds that access to information about resources like the National Network of Abortion Funds, which provides financial assistance to women who cannot afford abortions, "may not be enough to combat the fear of deportation and social censure, but it is a start" (Roth, New York Times, 1/7).


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