The U.S. was a leader in eugenics, with Indiana passing the world’s first sterilization law in 1907. Over 30 states followed suit, with sterilizations peaking in the 1930s and 1940s. While sterilization began by targeting “mentally defective,” “feeble-minded” or disabled individuals, it soon became a means of population control for non-white racial groups.
Sterilization is not identical to abortion, but the racial implications are parallel. Non-white women were more likely to be impacted by forced sterilization practices, and these women remain most impacted by restrictions on abortions.
Racial and ethnic data shows that the abortion rates for Black and Hispanic women are nearly triple and double that of white women, respectively. Some research attributes these disparities to the lack of access to and effective use of contraceptives. Many racial justice and women’s rights activists have spotlighted how restricting abortion will do more harm to non-white women who already face financial and structural barriers to accessing medical care.
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In 2020, a formal complaint was filed, alleging that unnecessary hysterectomies were being performed on immigrants in the custody of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement center in Georgia. This very recent incident echoes both the racial and paternalistic undertones of reproduction rights within our country, evident in the ongoing battle over abortion.
