The Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health in New York City operated under the direction of Bernard Nathanson, who served as a physician during a period of significant shifts in national medical policy. His career trajectory moved from founding an organization to repeal abortion laws to becoming a vocal opponent of the procedures he previously performed.
Early Education and Medical Training
Born in New York City in 1926 to Harriet and Dr. Joseph Norman Nathanson, he grew up with early exposure to the medical field. He completed an accelerated undergraduate program at Cornell University in 1943. By 1945, he entered the McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal, graduating with his medical degree in 1949. His clinical training included an internship at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, followed by a four-year residency at St. Luke's Hospital in New York.
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After receiving his New York medical license in 1953, he served in the United States Air Force as an obstetrician and gynecologist. Upon returning to Manhattan to establish a private practice, he became a founding member of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws alongside Lawrence Lader. He sought to increase access to legal procedures, citing the dangers of illegal abortions among poor women, and later directed the Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health.
Shifting Perspectives and Activism
The introduction of ultrasound technology in the 1970s prompted a reconsideration of his professional stance. By 1974, he asserted that human life exists from the onset of pregnancy. His subsequent activism included writing the book Aborting America and producing the documentary Eclipse of Reason. He expressed regret over his previous clinical work and argued that the abortion industry exploited women's vulnerabilities rather than supporting their reproductive autonomy.
Religious Conversion and Final Years
Though raised in a secular Jewish household and identifying as an atheist for many years, he eventually transitioned toward Catholicism. In 1996, he was baptized by Cardinal John O'Connor at St. Patrick's Cathedral, where he also received Confirmation and First Communion. Following his final marriage to Christine Reisner, he lived in New York until his death from cancer on February 21, 2011, at age 84.
Fast facts
- Born: 1926, New York City
- Died: 2011, New York City
- Education: McGill University
- Profession: Physician, Gynecologist, Writer
- Religious conversion: Roman Catholic, 1996
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What was his role in the abortion rights movement?
He was a co-founder of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws in 1969 and a director of the Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health.
Why did he change his views on abortion?
The development of ultrasound technology allowed him to observe real-time procedures, leading him to conclude that human life exists from the moment of conception.
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