Blogger puts guide to abortion online

A blogger has added fresh fuel to the abortion debate that divides the US by posting online detailed instructions on how to perform such an operation. She said she had received death threats as a result.

The blogger, who uses the pseudonym Molly Blythe, said she was inspired to post the abortion guide after the recent signing of legislation in South Dakota that outlaws abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. The only exception to the law would be if the woman's life was threatened if she continued the pregnancy.

Ms Blythe said: "Myself and some friends have been collecting this information for the past couple of years because we believed that Roe vs Wade [the 1973 Supreme Court case that affords women the right to an abortion] was not going to be around for ever."

The guide, titled "For the Women of South Dakota: An Abortion Manual", lists the equipment required and the procedure to follow to carry out a dilation and curettage abortion.

Ms Blythe said: "My philosophy is if you don't want to have an abortion, don't have one. But people have the right to know exactly what is involved."