Throughout the centuries, many different herbs were also thought to terminate pregnancy; some were only myths, while others not only terminated pregnancy, but could even be lethal to the woman. Many of these herbs were dubbed "abortifacient herbs". Even sharp objects or extreme pressure on the abdomen were used to terminate pregnancy.



Some common things such as egg, dill, marjoram, thyme, parsley, lavender, and juniper were thought to cause miscarriage. Some of the more lethal recipes, however, consisted of plants such as pennyroyal, Italian catnip, and soapwart. While generally speaking herbal remedies are no longer used today, some cultures still use herbal methods to end pregnancy.

Many of the tools used today in modern surgical procedures take their roots from centuries passed. The curette, a sharp tool used to clean the uterine walls, was developed in France in the 18th century for the purpose of abortion. The method of dilation and curettage has been used since the 19th century as were vacuum-type implements originally used only in Japan and China, until introduced to the United States and Britain.

The legalities surrounding abortions have also always been a dilemma faced by those who sought help.

Clergymen often had to give the stamp of approval for a woman to have an abortion for any reason, and it would often have to be determined if "quickening" had occurred, or if the baby had yet moved.

In the 18th and 19th centuries men began to speak out about abortion which led to the controversy that surrounds it today. Abortion was a taboo well into the 20th century when women used hangers and other sharp objects to cause trauma and miscarry.

While legally abortion is permitted after the findings of the Roe vs. Wade case in 1973, much heated controversy still surrounds the practice, enough so that some extremists are willing to kill to make their point by, in recent decades, bombing abortion clinics and doctors. While the battle still isn't over for the right to abortion, society has made great strides in coming to terms with a women's right to her body.