In 1971, she invented the Del-Em menstrual extraction kit to make abortions available to women before Roe v. Wade.

[citation needed] In 1968, Rothman first joined a local women's liberation group that she met at California State University Fullerton.

[citation needed] A week after her first meeting with Downer, Rothman demonstrated the prototype of the Del-Em menstrual extraction kit for their group.

[4] In 1972, Downer and Rothman founded the first Feminist Women's Health Center (FWHC) in Los Angeles.

[5] At the FWHC in Los Angeles, the main priority was increasing women's awareness of their bodies and providing a sense of security.

[2] According to the book titled Into Our Own Hands, "Lorraine Rothman developed a menstrual extraction kit that she called the Del-Em, which gave women unprecedented control over their monthly periods.