Abortion History among Hawaiʻi's Indigenous People

In 1970, Hawaiʻi was the first state in the US to legalize abortion. That action enshrined a right that Native Hawaiians had recognized for centuries. In this article, Native Hawaiian health scholar Kealoha Fox, PhD and Native Hawaiian OB-GYN Reni Soon MD, MPH discuss perspectives on abortion.

Through her research in the archives and conversations with traditional healers, Dr. Fox has uncovered a long history of Hawaiian beliefs and customs around abortion. She even found that Hawaiians had their own traditional form of medication abortion. She hopes that this history will empower people to continue to advocate for abortion today.

Dr. Soon brings her perspective as an OB-GYN working for one of the largest reproductive health services providers in Hawaiʻi. She notes that the overturning of Roe v. Wade could contribute to the stigma around abortion. Dr. Soon highlights that abortion is a part of reproductive health care and, as such, deserves protection.

I literally found pieces of evidence to support abortion care being a fundamental part of our maoli ola, our health care, in our history. We have words for abortion such as ʻōmilo or milo or milomilo. We had medical abortions where certain types of lāʻau were known to be used.

SOURCE: Hawaiʻi Public Radio • AUTHOR: Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi • LAST UPDATED: June 29, 2022