The Abortion Resource Handbook

in English, 240 pages,
Simon and Schuster, July 16, 1997
Order here

Since getting an abortion may be daunting in some parts of the country–“84 percent of counties have no provider,” Kaufmann avers–this well-organized book’s advice seems ripe for the times. That counsel includes warnings about fake clinics “run by antichoice organizations for the sole purpose of actively obstructing women’s access to abortion,” the potential for confrontation at clinic sites, and the legal sanctions and hoops one must negotiate in pursuit of an abortion (Kaufmann gives detailed instructions on circumventing parental notification laws, informed consent laws, and waiting periods). Kaufmann says she writes specifically “to provide women with the support and clear practical information they need to get an abortion regardless of their personal situation or the laws, lack of clinics, or level of antichoice violence in their state,” and her writing shares the stridency and clarity of that point of view. Appendixes list pertinent laws and pro-choice organizations state by state and include sample legal forms. Reviewed during the writing by doctors and other professionals, this is an excellent choice on its subject. — Mike Tribby