Rosie Jimenez
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Rosaura "Rosie" Jimenez | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 5, 1950 |
| Died | October 3, 1977 (aged 27) McAllen, Texas |
| Cause of death | Complications from an unsafe abortion |
Rosie Jimenez (August 5, 1950 – October 3, 1977), also known as Rosaura Jimenez, is the first woman known to have died in the United States due to an unsafe abortion after the Hyde Amendment was passed. The 1977 Amendment cut off Medicaid funding for safe medically-supervised abortions.[1] Unable to afford a safe and legal abortion at a clinic, Jimenez sought out a cheaper and unsafe abortion. She died at age 27 from an infection in McAllen, Texas. At the time, she was a student who would have earned a teaching credential in six months, as well as the single mother of a four-year-old daughter.
Early life
Jimenez was born in McAllen, Texas, to a large Mexican-American family. She had 11 siblings though some died young, including her twin.[2] Before her death, she obtained her GED and attended Pan American University.[2] She became a single parent in her 20s and, when she passed, had a four-year-old daughter named Monique.[2] She hoped to become a Special Education teacher.[2][3]
Death
In 1976, the Hyde Amendment restricted Medicaid funding for abortions. The typical cost of an abortion in McAllen at the time was $230 without insurance, which many people could not afford.[3]
In September 1977, Rosie received an abortion from an unlicensed midwife in McAllen.[2][3] She contracted an infection from Clostridium perfringens as a result of the procedure.[3][4] After spending seven days in intensive care, she died of organ failure on October 3, 1977.[2][3]