>Tracy, much of the quoted period predates contraception and was at a time when childbirth itself was fearfully dangerous. If you ever have a moment to wander around an old cemetery it is astonishing to see the number of gravestones to women in their 20s. They died in childbirth. Getting pregnant was dangerous, period. Actually it still is, but lets not go there. ;-) I know it's popular to produce those sorts of stats but they have to be compared to what else was going on at the time and it's a huge leap to assert we'd revert to that in 2008. Nobody would expect that a horrific amputation without anesthetic in WWII is connected to an attempt to salvage a limb in 2008 and we need to be consistent.
>
>IMHO the Kennedy history is far more relevant. if anything, the position of women in society accelerated during his time rather than reverting to medieval servitude.


I see your point, but the pill became widely available in 1960 and more so in 1961. There were plenty of dangerous illegal abortions being performed in the 60s and early 70s.