Our Statement on the Death of Rosie Jiménez
On October 3, 1977, Rosie Jiménez was a young Mexican American Woman who died from the complications of an illegal abortion.
Jiménez is often referred to as the first reported victim of the Hyde Amendment because she was unable to afford an abortion, Rosie was forced to look into other options to terminate her pregnancy. In the process, she contracted an infection.
The Hyde Amendment is a weapon that was designed to restrict the use of federal funding for abortion services. In Rosie’s case, the Hyde Amendment prevented her from using Medicaid to cover the abortion procedure.
The Amendment was designed to explicitly control the family planning of those with low incomes. It is important to note that the Hyde Amendment isn’t a law and only applies to the bill it’s intentionally signed to.
Rosie’s story reminds us of what happens when our elected officials don’t trust us to make decisions for ourselves. We live in a more reproductive restrictive place in America now than when Rosie was alive.
Criminalizing or rendering abortions inaccessible does not stop abortions, but it does stop safe abortions.
People still need abortions and by placing legal and safe ones out of reach, we are doomed to repeat history. Abortion bans and their associated harms are not new. They continue to impact low-income, people of color and their systems of care the most.
SisterLove’s mission is to eradicate the adverse impact of HIV, sexual and reproductive health rights, and justice challenges impacting women and their families through education, prevention, support, research, and human rights advocacy in the United States and worldwide. SisterLove stands against all barriers to access to comprehensive reproductive care. We remember Rosie and will continue to fight for Reproductive Justice. You can stand with us by donating to our Abortion Justice fundraiser. Every dollar helps connect women and birthing persons with the abortion and contraceptive healthcare they need.
