Vera Drake

philstar

Hello Ladies, don't usually post here

But last night on channel 4 i watched the film Vera Drake and i must say it had a profound effect on me, I found it compelling viewing both disturbing and heartbraking.

But I'm just wondering did the same thing go on in Ireland as well? if so was there any documented court cases about it?

Truley

Mamie Cadden was a very famous back street abortionist in Ireland. I remember watching 'Victorian Pharmacy' on Channel 4 a few months back and they spoke of the various pills and potions women used to buy over the counter to induce miscarriage.

Obviously it wouldn't have been the intended purpose of the medication but it would have been an open secret that women bought it for the side effects.

Morag

There are still women who have info about home remdies and they pass that information on to each other and down generations. The remdies work but are not as effective as modren medical solutions and can often be harmful and toxic to the women who take them or can damage thier fertility so they can't go on to have kids.

Many people don't know that contraception wasn't legal here until 1984 and for a long time most drs didn't perscribe it and often those who did only did so for married women.

So women took many risks taking remedies to prevent pregnancy and then to end them.

krudler

Sharrow wrote: »

There are still women who have info about home remdies and they pass that information on to each other and down generations. The remdies work but are not as effective as modren medical solutions and can often be harmful and toxic to the women who take them or can damage thier fertility so they can't go on to have kids.

Many people don't know that contraception wasn't legal here until 1984 and for a long time most drs didn't perscribe it and often those who did only did so for married women.

So women took many risks taking remedies to prevent pregnancy and then to end them.

werent condoms illegal oustide of chemists until the early 90's? I remember the hoohah that Virgin megastore got in for selling them on their counters. (delicious irony too :pac: ) this country really was utterly backwards in its attitudes towards sex, thanks catholic guilt!

Wibbs

Sharrow wrote: »

There are still women who have info about home remdies and they pass that information on to each other and down generations. The remdies work but are not as effective as modren medical solutions and can often be harmful and toxic to the women who take them or can damage thier fertility so they can't go on to have kids.

Yep. I know two women who went down the "home remedy" route. One it worked, the other it really screwed her insides up.

Many people don't know that contraception wasn't legal here until 1984 and for a long time most drs didn't perscribe it and often those who did only did so for married women.

And like krudler said it was hard to get condoms outside chemists. Right in the middle of the dire warnings about the AIDS epidemic, the Irish gov stuck their fingers in their ears. Thank god it was way more hype than substance or we would have had a lot of HIV/AIDS deaths here otherwise.

fryup

krudler wrote: »

werent condoms illegal oustide of chemists until the early 90's? I remember the hoohah that Virgin megastore got in for selling them on their counters. (delicious irony too :pac: ) this country really was utterly backwards in its attitudes towards sex, thanks catholic guilt!

thanks catholic church:cool:

my god this country was really bally-go-backward back in them days, still is to a certain extent with its attitude towards abortion > "lets the brits deal with it"

WindSock

I wonder what the most common methods of illegal abortion are today? Would people still use the same one as in the film much? I suppose getting meds off the net may be used most.

Morag

Honestly that a discussion I wouldn't get into, heavens forbid someone might try them.

WindSock

True, yeah it is not something you'd want to encourage.

strobe

WindSock wrote: »

I wonder what the most common methods of illegal abortion are today? Would people still use the same one as in the film much? I suppose getting meds off the net may be used most.

There was a story last year where customs said they had confiscated 1200 packets of abortion pills coming into Ireland in one year (2009). Most would have been purchased on the net I'd imagine.

Ahh, found it. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/1026/1224282004957.html

Up-n-atom!

I think the irony is that although we were a lot more 'backwards' then, it was probably easier to have some sort of abortion procedure carried out here then than now - Parkgate St and Mamie Cadden were pretty notorious in the pre-60s. I kinda never thought about it happening now considering most people travel to England, but guess it's an expensive trip that not everyone can afford. As usual we're burying our heads in the sand and saying that it doesn't go on here when it does. Enda Kenny seems to want nothing to do with addressing this issue, not to mention the whole IVF debate (that for some reason - probably the Church - has become caught up with the abortion 'morality' thing eventhough it's a completely seperate issue!)

Sorry, rant over, this whole thing makes me so mad:mad:

Fluorescence

What would we have to do to get it put to referendum again? If women could get safe abortions in their own country, they wouldn't be incentivised to try drastic DIY measures, many of which are permanently harmful. When I was in secondary school, there was one girl who repeatedly got pregnant, and (kinda gross, so spoiler tags for the sensitive)

punched herself in the stomach until she miscarried

each time... That's unbelievably messed up.

strobe

fluorescence wrote: »

What would we have to do to get it put to referendum again? If women could get safe abortions in their own country, they wouldn't be incentivised to try drastic DIY measures, many of which are permanently harmful. When I was in secondary school, there was one girl who repeatedly got pregnant, and (kinda gross, so spoiler tags for the sensitive)

punched herself in the stomach until she miscarried

each time... That's unbelievably messed up.

A referendum is at the governments discretion. Which is one of the reasons why I am a massive advocate of direct democracy, which if we had we could force a referendum simply by getting x amount of signatures on a petition.


In relation to the spoiler are you sure she wasn't talking bollix? The force required to cause a miscarriage in that way can be pretty high. Women can be hit by cars and not miscarry. Was she a champion welterweight boxer? Sounds like lies.

Fluorescence

strobe wrote: »

A referendum is at the governments discretion. Which is one of the reasons why I am a massive advocate of direct democracy, which if we had we could force a referendum simply by getting x amount of signatures on a petition.


In relation to the spoiler are you sure she wasn't talking bollix? The force required to cause a miscarriage in that way can be pretty high. Women can be hit by cars and not miscarry. Was she a champion welterweight boxer? Sounds like lies.

Just what I'd heard I can't confirm it obviously as my school was full of lying scum, but she did seem to get small bumps a good few times that miraculously disappeared.... *shrug*

Direct democracy eh? Sounds like the way to go.

strobe

fluorescence wrote: »

Direct democracy eh? Sounds like the way to go.

Yay! I'm a political agent provocateur. That is so going on the CV.