Nowadays, the topic of the prohibition of abortion is often raised . This moment is debatable. There are many opinions on why this law should be adopted and why it should not. But once the USSR became the first country in which it was officially allowed to terminate a pregnancy. The number of abortions in the USSR increased with terrifying progression, and when it was banned. In this article we will talk about how all this happened.
It used to be
When was abortion allowed in the USSR? It happened in 1920. At that time, the country was in a bad economic situation and the population could not materially provide for itself, not to mention the future offspring. However, statistics on abortion in the USSR at that time showed a high mortality rate or the occurrence of negative consequences for a woman’s health after this procedure. This happened because then there were no doctors of the necessary qualifications. The effects of this procedure have not been well studied. Often, complications arose after her, and the woman became barren for the rest of her life. Before terminating the pregnancy, the patients were not examined properly, which means they could not predict how abortion would affect their health. Therefore, taking into account this fact, and the fact that the country did not have enough financial resources to provide gynecological offices with all the settlements, a decision was made to ban abortion.
Why it became impossible
But not only this was the reason for the adoption of the prohibition law. Who canceled abortions in the USSR? The Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars made such a decision and issued a special document. He not only prohibited abortions in the USSR, but also notified of changes in divorce laws, tightened criminal penalties for refusing to pay child support, established state aid for women in labor, large families, and regulated the expansion of nurseries, kindergartens, and maternity hospitals. This regime was in force from 1936 to 1955. When abortion was prohibited in the USSR, they were still given, but only to those women who were not allowed to give birth for medical reasons or the damage to their health during the operation was great.
There is an explanation
Abortion in the USSR was banned. But this was done for the benefit of women. How was this ban explained? Firstly, they sought to increase the birth rate. Human losses after the revolution were great, and they needed to be replenished. In addition, the USSR was preparing new cadres that could help in the fight against capitalism, and in case of war serve as "cannon fodder."
Secondly, at that time the institution of the family was beginning to emerge. Most of the men were frivolous in their duties as husband and father of the family. Having conceived a child, they understood that they did not bear any responsibility for what would happen to him next and the woman was forced to terminate the pregnancy. By banning abortions in the USSR, they tried to make sure that the man did not evade financial responsibility and took a conscious part in raising children. Thirdly, they also tried to make the future mother more responsible. So that she makes an informed choice - the birth of a child. Socialist society recognized the equal rights of women, and at the same time demanded returns in the form of the proper education of future citizens.
There is an exit
The population at that time was low cultural and had little knowledge of medicine. Termination of pregnancy was considered a minor procedure that does not harm the health of women. Therefore, women did not try to increase their knowledge in the reproductive field, were not interested in modern contraceptives, because they knew that pregnancy could be terminated at any time, and there would be nothing for it. However, at that time, many means were being issued to protect against unwanted pregnancy. The country took care of the health of citizens and conducted educational and agitation work in this direction.
Big choice
By banning abortion in the USSR, the doctors thereby drew the attention of women and men to the fact that they had an alternative, namely, it was necessary to avoid conception using modern contraceptives. What did Soviet citizens offer in pharmacies and shops of that time? Men were offered to use condoms, and women were offered vaginal rubber caps “KR”, metal caps on the cervix uteri “Kafka”. There were also chemicals to protect against unwanted pregnancy. This paste is “Preconsol”, “Vagilen” (vaginal balls), “Contraceptin” (vaginal product). They were made at the factory "Red Rubber Engineer", as well as Soyuzkhimfarmtorg. On the newspapers of pages and magazines there was constantly an advertisement for these funds. The population was even warned that a antenatal clinic could help to choose the appropriate method of contraception. Gradually, the level of culture of the population increased, the volume of contraceptive production increased, the standard of living of the population increased, and abortion was again allowed.
Can now
Rejoicing that it was possible to terminate the pregnancy again and not to bear any responsibility for it, the women so eagerly set to work that in the mid-60s the number of abortions performed during the year amounted to 6 million. At the time when abortion was prohibited, their number was significantly reduced. And in the second half of 1936 in Moscow, only 734 abortions were recorded. At the same time, the birth rate in this city was growing. In 1935, this figure almost doubled from 7 to 136 thousand. Although the number of abortions was gradually decreasing, by 1991 they still produced about 4.5 million a year. Women who decided to get rid of the child were not even afraid of how they had abortions in the USSR.
Horrible procedure
They were not afraid of the consequences of this operation. Abortion was done with metal tools. The cervix was expanded with special knitting needles, then the embryo was pierced with hooks and removed. If the period was already long, then in order to extract the embryo, it was necessary to dismember it. Thus, at first they pulled out a leg, then other parts of the body of the embryo that had already formed by that time. Forced cervical dilatation is a very painful procedure, but, nevertheless, women were ready to endure it. But such a procedure was also dangerous, because the uterine walls were injured with metal tools, holes appeared, then it all festered, bleeding started. It happened that after an abortion a woman died or became barren.
It can be different
But the ban on abortion did not stop women. When such a law was in force, clandestine abortions flourished in the USSR. Moreover, the doctors helped the woman to get rid of the unwanted fetus, equipping secret operating rooms and grandmothers. In either case, complications often arose or even the death of patients occurred. For example, in the apartment of a Leningrad doctor, the body of a deputy of the regional council was found. Abortion for this woman was the last thing in her life. Criminal abortions in the USSR were punished by imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Alternative medicine
But if the doctor even had medical knowledge and tools, then the grandmothers who turned to for help often had neither one nor the other. They either performed abortion manipulations with improvised iron hooks in unsanitary conditions. Or they gave the woman advice, using which she could independently terminate the pregnancy. There were various recipes and methods of how this could be done. Often a woman used the advice of her friends, and as a result, she still had to seek medical help after complications occurred.
Physical methods
If a woman did not want to take any infusions, she could start jumping or lifting weights. It was believed that if you jump from a height, then a miscarriage will occur. At home, the ladies climbed onto the closet and landed on the floor. Sometimes climbed stairs and fences. However, this method often overshooted and led to bruises. Another method was weight lifting. To do this, it was necessary to take something heavy in hand and begin to squat, spreading his legs in his knees. Tension and pressure in the pelvic area also led to a miscarriage. Those who had the opportunity practiced riding on a catapult, used to train pilots, so that the fetus would come off the wall of the uterus. This is what women did in military camps.
For medical reasons
Often, in order to see a doctor and get a referral for an abortion, women killed the fetus within themselves. For this, different methods were also used. A common method was swimming in hot water or a long stay in the steam room. Under the influence of high temperatures, the embryo dies. More often, women drank a variety of infusions and douched the vagina so that the pregnancy did not develop. Sometimes a woman herself suffered from such poisonous baths and drinks. We drank and iodine with milk. Moreover, they could take such a mixture several times, which led to a burn of the esophagus. Women who want to get rid of their unborn child did not stop at anything. They brewed bay leaves and drank this infusion, and the leaves themselves were placed in the vagina at night. This leads to mummification of the fetus in the uterus. Another strange way to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy was the introduction of a bulb into the cervix. Then it remains only to wait for the bulb to sprout and entangle the fruit with its roots. Then the onion is simply removed with it. However, this method leads to severe bleeding and in most cases, doctors have to remove the uterus. Another extreme way is the introduction of a ficus into the vagina with a sharp end towards the cervix. So it was necessary to sleep all night. Often, women died of gangrenous myometritis.
Of course, women who used such methods cannot be justified. But you can understand. Indeed, abortion prohibitions led to such extreme methods. Although in our time there are such incredulous women who prefer not to go to the doctors, but to terminate the pregnancy in the old fashioned way. Will they accept the law on the prohibition of abortion or not, time will tell. But you need to take care of your health now, especially since medicine has stepped far ahead compared to the beginning of the 20th century, modern means of protection against unwanted pregnancy have appeared. Modern people should be able to manage their reproductive system.