Flea-Market Abortions Thrive as Texas May Close Clinics

[xchrom]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-11/flea-market-abortions-thrive-as-texas-may-close-clinics.html

At an open-air flea market outside McAllen, Texas (BEESTX), near the Mexican border, shoppers can buy a goat and get their car windows tinted. Tables with handwritten signs touting Viagra (MDPSVIAG) are stocked with herbal remedies promising to burn fat and boost breast size. You can also find pills to end a pregnancy.

Bazaars like this have become home to a thriving black market, where women too poor to afford an abortion at a clinic or deterred by state mandates such as a 24-hour waiting period can buy drugs to induce a miscarriage on their own, a dozen area residents and doctors said in interviews.

Hundreds of miles north in Austin, the capital, lawmakers may inadvertently increase this illegal trade. Rules set to pass as soon as this week might result in the closing of most, if not all, abortion facilities in the state. If the law -- promoted as a way to improve women’s health -- makes legal abortion unavailable in Texas, more women may turn to markets such as the one near McAllen and risk their lives.

“You’d be amazed at how many people, young people, are taking those pills,” said Erlinda Dasquez, a 29-year-old mother of four who has done so herself. “I probably know 12 to 20 people who have done this. My cousin just went to the flea market a few months ago.”

[hatrack]

1. People will find a way, however illegal, dangerous of toxic it may be

Oh, but that doesn't matter to the GOPpers Austin, now does it? Silly me!

[ananda]

5. And here they said they were only thinking of women's safety.

..

[BlancheSplanchnik]

13. OF course they are. Because a dead woman is better

than a dead fantasy.

[PNW_Dem]

17. Economic Consequences?

When will these self-inflicted red state wounds start hurting their economies? There has to be a tipping point when the smart people start to move to bluer states. Texas turned down federal funding to implement ACA (Obama care) exchanges and now these crazy abortion restrictions. When will this start to affect Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, etc? Not that the right wing “purists” will care, but we should expect to see economic consequences. It might bring a new meaning to "two Americas"...

[PDittie]

21. I'm thinking never

I live in Houston and economically it's booming here. Same in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and even places like Midland-Odessa. I imagine that you can guess why (not Rick Perry's leadership).

But North Dakota just beat out Texas for fastest-growing economy in the country. Fracking is going great guns there also. You may have heard that ND also has the most severe choice restrictions in the nation.

There is no -- will never be -- any economic consequence of significance to outlawing abortion. There will be more poor women, poor children, poor families but that is not of consequence to the Republicans passing these laws.

And women will die. They don't care about that either.

Until we can convince those of low economic status to vote, it's going to remain this way and probably get worse in Texas and North Dakota, and Kansas and much of the South.

[marmar]

2. k/r

[Autumn]

3. Young women don't understand what they are losing.

They should all be fighting this with everything they have.

[ProfessorPlum]

8. so should older women

and young men. And older men.

[raccoon]

9. Absolutely. nt

[Triana]

11. They'll learn the hard way.

Many will die.

[Autumn]

12. Yes they will. I talked to a young relative in Texas yesterday. She was clueless.

[hamsterjill]

14. I think you are right!

I'm not sure the "younger" generation truly understand the significance of this. Sarah Slamen gives me hope! I hope that I'm wrong and the younger ones really do see.

We ALL need to be fighting to keep this right available to women.

[PDittie]

22. Just for the record

I know Sarah personally (we aren't friends). Two years ago she was the campaign manager for a Green who ran for Houston city Council. Unless she has had a dramatic change of heart very recently, she isn't a Democrat.

She is however exactly what we need more of in Austin and Washington. I just hope she can be persuaded to stay in Texas and run for office (in her original testimony video, she indicated she would be moving to New York at the end of the summer).

[hamsterjill]

23. Thank you for that info!

She is EXACTLY what we need for the war on women, at least. Democrat or not. She's eloquent, she's passionate, and she's young.

Yes, I heard her say she would be moving to New York soon. Sad loss to Texas, but I hope she continues her activism. And more so, I hope there are many, many more young women (and young men) who share her passion and activism.

[PNW_Dem]

18. We should all be pissed off

I’m grateful for the brave female legislators who frequently speak out against this crap and even filibuster, but it’s time to see some men stage a filibuster. This is NOT just a female issue.

[Heidi]

4. Kick!

[malaise]

6. I'm betting ReTHUGs run the flea market operation n/t

[sbh]

7. At least it doesn't involve coat hangers. The GOP has no respect for women.

[Solly Mack]

10. K&R

[nolabear]

15. As it has always been and shall always be. People will suffer and die from this.

I could scream. I could scream. I could scream.

[jwirr]

16. Welcome to the good old days.

[Starry Messenger]

19. Duh.

[TrogL]

20. I'd be interested to know what's in them

There's lots of "old wives' tales" "cures" that don't work and are downright dangerous.