Women’s Health: The socio-politics of reproductive well-being

Medicine as social control Medicalization—the process by which a condition or behavior becomes defined as a medical problem requiring a medical solution

History of Childbirth in America 1.Prior to 1800’s childbirth and diseases of the reproductive organs were the domain of midwives 2.Shift from midwife to obstetrician and gynecologist occurred as a result of questions of women's place and innovations in technology birthing position forceps & speculum pain control episiotomy caesarean 3.By 1920s paradigm of birth as disease normalized

Current Reproductive Rights Birth control has been influenced by social norms, economic and political factors Reproductive rights based on right to privacy –Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) –Roe v Wade (1973) Erosion of reproductive rights since 1970s –Tying abortion to fetal viability & rights –Economics Hyde amendment Family planning –Violence & Fear –Politics Better birth control options means lower abortion rate

Connections Between Birth Control & Abortion –Both tied to social control, role of women in society –Women’s reproduction was unregulated until 1880s –Regulation began with Comstock laws Dangers to women’s health Race suicide & eugenics Anti-feminist backlash –role of woman = mother Religion/”killing infant” was an not issue

Racism in Abortion, Birth Control & Sterilization Many poor and minority women were victims of birth control experiments and have been subject to forced sterilization as a government endorsed social policy Poor and minority women have usually had the most problems with both access to birth control and pre-natal- health care

History of Abortion Rights Decisions about birth control & aborting historically up to the woman Mid 1800s abortion increasingly prevalent among white, married Protestant women antiabortion policies Only very recently has abortion been seen as a moral issue stemming from religious beliefs

The number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, by year Incidence of Abortion in USA Guttmacher Institute, 2005

Profile of Aborting Women 52% are younger than 25 70% identify as Christian More white women have abortions Blacks are more than 3 times as likely as whites to have an abortion, and Hispanics are 2 1/2 times as likely 2/3 of all abortions are among never-married women Over 60% of abortions are among women who have had 1 or more children

Reasons for Abortion 1.3/4 say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; 2.2/3 say they cannot afford a child; 3.1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner

Abortion & Contraceptive Use 54% used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant –Majority used methods inconsistently –13% of pill users & 14% of condom users reported correct use  Need for comprehensive sexual education

Unwanted Babies Poverty –12.9 million, or 20% of children in USA live below poverty –Everyday 2,660 children are born into poverty – 27 die because of poverty Lack of Family –127,000 children in US child welfare system awaiting adoption –Black babies “supplied” oversees due to US racism

Legality & Lethality CountryAbortion rate per 1,000 women aged * Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births Where abortion is legal United States2612 England/Wales159 Netherlands612 Finland1011 Japan1418 Australia179 Where abortion is illegal Brazil38220 Colombia34100 Chile4565 Dominican Republic44110 Mexico23110 Peru52280

Being Truly Pro-Life Focus on quality of life for all –End poverty –End violence –End ignorance Search for real solutions to social problems –Reproductive Justice When does criminalization work? –Education, Employment, Esteem