An early pioneer of abortion rights recounts the struggle over a
pill that could almost completely remove the matter from the public
sphere. Lader (Politics, Power, and the Church, 1987, etc.), one of
the early founders of the National Abortion Rights Action League,
gives a concise history of the abortion rights movement over the
last 30 years and explains how RU-486, "the abortion pill," fits
into it. He narrates the growth of grassroots support for the
repeal of abortion laws, the success of those efforts, and the
challenges from religious extremists - which have culminated in the
state of siege in which many family-planning clinics find
themselves today. He also chronicles French scientists' discovery
of a safe oral abortifacient and the attempt of abortion-rights
activists, including himself, to bring it to the US - efforts that
included smuggling in a Chinese copy of the pill. RU-486 remains
unavailable in this country, due to government inaction and the
religious rights' insistence on boycotting any participating
company. Lader is a lucid writer whose firsthand knowledge of the
movement's history is evident. However, his tendency to pat himself
on the back and spotlight his own contributions is irritating (for
instance, he credits his own 1966 book, Abortion, with stimulating
the formation of a national pro-choice movement). Also troubling is
the half-heartedness of his attempts to address his personal
motivations for spearheading such a movement; hinted at are a
healthy sex drive, sympathy for feminism, ego, a wish to contribute
to social change, and a sexual preference for strong,
selfdetermined women. But Lader avoids delving more deeply and
settles instead for assuring us that he has thought about these
issues. Despite the author's self-congratulation and lack of
self-examination, an informative history. (Kirkus Reviews)
Lader spotlights the struggle for abortion rights, discusses the
brutal clinic murders in Pensacola and Boston, and argues that RU
486 could markedly reduce clinical abortions by making the
termination of a pregnancy a 'private matter'.
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