Becky Bell

Rebecca "Becky" Suzanne Bell (August 24, 1971 – September 16, 1988) was an American teenage girl who died of complications from a septic abortion. After becoming pregnant, Bell inquired about a legal abortion but was hindered by Indiana state laws, which required either her parents' consent or a waiver from a judge. Instead, Bell either obtained an illegal abortion or attempted to self-abort, leading to a fatal infection. The coroner found that Bell died of a sepsis as a consequence of an unsterile abortion, although this explanation was subsequently disputed by physicians associated with the pro-life movement. Following Bell's death, her parents became advocates for the repeal of parental-consent laws.

Background

Bell discovered she was pregnant in 1988. She went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Indiana with her friend Heather Clark seeking an abortion. There she was told that state law required consent from her parents for the procedure and that most minors in her area simply went to Louisville, less than 100 miles away, to avoid parental disclosure. She also had the option of going before a judge to argue for a waiver of parental consent, but reportedly feared that her parents would find out. Bell was subsequently confused about what to do, according to Clark, alternating between plans to have an abortion in Kentucky, carrying to term and placing the baby for adoption, or running away to California.