Jane: The Legendary Story of the Underground Abortion Service, 1968-1973 When the Chicago abortion referral service, known as "Jane," started in 1969, even providing information about abortion was a criminal act.

Still, abortions were being sought and performed—and many women died as a result of the black market conditions of a procedure gone awry. Jane’s role was to refer women to honest, safe, and reliable doctors and to provide them with empowering information, options, and agency in their own healthcare.