Editing Edwardian era (section)

====Birth control====
Although abortion was illegal, it was nevertheless a widespread form of birth control.<ref name="knight">{{cite journal|last=Knight|first=Patricia|title=Women and Abortion in Victorian and Edwardian England|journal=History Workshop|year=1977|volume=4|pages=57–68| doi=10.1093/hwj/4.1.57| pmid=11610301}}</ref> Used predominantly by working-class women, the procedure was used not only as a means of terminating pregnancy, but also to prevent poverty and unemployment. Those who transported [[contraceptive]]s could be legally punished. Contraceptives became more expensive over time and had a high failure rate. Unlike contraceptives, abortion did not need any prior planning and was less expensive. Newspaper advertisements were used to promote and sell [[abortifacient]]s indirectly.<ref name="mclaren">{{cite journal|last=McLaren |first=Angus| title=Abortion in England 1890–1914|journal=Victorian Studies|year=1977|pages=379–400}}</ref>

Not all of society was accepting of contraceptives or abortion, and opponents viewed both as part of one and the same sin. Abortion was much more common among the middle classes than among those living in rural areas, where the procedure was not readily available. Women were often tricked into purchasing ineffective pills. In addition to fearing legal reprimands, many physicians did not condone abortion because they viewed it as an immoral procedure potentially endangering a woman's life.<ref name="mclaren" /> Because abortion was illegal and physicians refused to perform the procedure, local women provided abortions, often using crochet hooks or similar instruments.<ref name="knight" />

Feminists of the era focused on educating and finding jobs for women, leaving aside the controversial issues of contraceptives and abortion, which in popular opinion were often related to promiscuity and prostitution. The Church condemned abortion as immoral and a form of rebellion against the child-bearing role women were expected to assume. Many considered abortion to be a selfish act that allowed a woman to avoid personal responsibility, contributing to a decline in moral values.<ref name="knight" /> Abortion was often a solution for women who already had children and did not want more. Consequently, the size of families decreased drastically.<ref name="mclaren" />