Women of Color’s Reproductive Perils Reproduced

Abstract

Last year, women detained at a Georgia ICE detention center accused a doctor of conducting various hysterectomies that were unwanted or without consent. These allegations echo past sterilization abuses on women of color and challenge us to recall some historical accounts of women's sterilization in Black and Brown communities in America, including eugenics programs targeting poor women of color. When particularly examining the women's reproductive health in the carceral system, there are direct conflicts between providing proper healthcare and human rights protections and the economic interests of privately operated detention centers. This essay reviews these concerns and recommends changes from government and carceral facilities.