REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE MARCH 2021, ZINE PROJECT FINAL BY AMY SOMMERCAMP, ASHLEY WANG, CITLALI YÁÑEZ, VALERIE GARIBAY
INTRODUCTION WHAT IS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE? Reproductive Justice When one thinks of reproductive justice, the first thing that often comes to mind is pro-choice, abortion, and white women at the forefront of these conversations. Reproductive justice is not just about abortion, it goes far beyond that. One thing that is crucial to shifting from the framework of pro-choice to reproductive justice is the emphasis and inclusion of human rights on a transnational level, instead of just in the United States. It’s important to appeal at a global scale because American legislation is built off of racism, misogyny, classism, ableism, and the oppression of Black people. This system works against women and thrives off of their oppression and exploitation. In order to break out of binary tensions and only the arguments surrounding the abortion, it’s crucial to appeal to human rights and other factors that make up reproductive justice. The framework of reproductive justice also moves away from the focus of individual choices made, thus making the conversation of pro-choice to be broader by considering different factors on a mezo, macro, and global level, not just centering solely on abortion and the morality of the choice being made. Reproductive justice gives all women the ability to determine their own reproductive destiny,
which is directly linked to the conditions in their community and that is determined by systemically, not solely at the individual level (Ross 222). This must also include trans folks. The framework goes from not just pro-choice but to something that is essentially intersectional. It is crucial that we understand that accessibility is a major component here. There is a lack of access to reproductive health and necessary resources for women. It’s also crucial to acknowledge that Reproductive Justice is a paradigm shift to a broader reproductive health agenda, rather only demanding gender equality or abortion rights (Ross 221). The framework is intersectional, as it was created by women of color and emerges from the experiences of women of color whose multiple communities are greatly impacted by reproductive obstacles and oppressions. Race, socioeconomic status, gender, and sexual orientation are integral to consider in reproductive justice that demonstrate the intersectionality of it. We need a much broader framework when discussing issues surrounding reproductive rights, instead of centering people with privilege. There are many barriers, whether socioeconomic or racial that prevent and prohibit the privilege of access and choice for everyone.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DISCRIMINATION & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE HEALTH DISPARITIES & HEALTHCARE RJ EXAMPLES
Contents In this zine, we will be focusing on the different topics that fall under the umbrella of Reproductive Justice. First, we will discuss what reproductive justice means. It’s also important that we recognize and discuss how certain groups of women are discriminated against and excluded in these conversations of reproductive justice. Some women who are discriminated against include women of color, transgender women, women with disabilities, and larger women. Another topic we will be discussing in this zine are health disparities and health care. This section will be focused on health for women, specifically how lowincome women are the most affected by health problems and not being able to afford receiving medical care. Some examples include contraceptives, abortion, and mental health resources. Lastly, we will also be covering current movements for Reproductive justice that use theories and frameworks like storytelling, standpoint theory and an intersectional framework.
DISCRIMINATION & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE HOW SOME GROUPS ARE PARTICULARLY SET AT A DISADVANTAGE Women of Color In the United States, the vast majority of physicians are white, male, and part of higher wealth brackets (Data USA). As a result, many women of color report feeling as though their doctors don't understand or simply ignore their struggles. This issue extends into reproductive health for women of color. For example, in the United States, Black women are 2 to 6 times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy than white women, depending on their location (Flanders). This issue is a result of racist medical practices that tend to downplay complaints by non-white patients. The US also has a history of forcefully sterilizing minority groups of women.
Transgender Patients For Native women, reproductive justice has been fully entwined with genocide and colonization since first contact. Between 1973-1976, Indian Health Service regions sterilized 3,406 Native American women without their consent (VAWnet). The issue of forced sterilization also extends transnationally. In September 2020, a nurse at a Georgia immigrant detention center blew the whistle on forced sterilizations on Mexican immigrants. One detained immigrant reported that the procedure she was supposed to have was never properly explained to her. When she asked what procedure was planned, she was given three different responses by three individuals (Manian).
Bigger-Bodied Women Fatphobia and the victimization of bigger-bodied people is a prevalent issue in reproductive health. Rather than taking a holistic approach to a fat patient’s overall health, too many doctors perpetuate internalized and institutional fatphobia by pushing weight loss as a cure-all despite the complex social, cultural, and genetic factors that impact weight (Nneka). As a result, biggerbodied women often experience negative health issues because their complaints are written off as a result of their body size. Larger women are often thought of last when it comes to to their reproductive health. For example, the morning after pill is not meant to work for women over 176 lbs even though the average American woman weighs 166 lbs (Nneka). This directly reduces these women's access to reproductive services. The continued use of the outdated and discriminatory BMI scale also has adverse effects on
"The ability to keep bodily matters private is a privilege some of us don’t have. Just ask a poor person on welfare, a fat person, a visibly disabled person, a pregnant woman.” - Eli Clare
larger women. Half of the 20 largest fertility clinics in the United States refuse to perform in-vitro fertilization on individuals who are extremely or severely “obese” as determined by BMI (Nneka). Studies have shown that racial discrimination was associated with increased
BMI (Gee), creating an important intersection between overweight women and women of color. The graph above shows that Black and Hispanic women in the US are most likely to be considered obese (Lee).
Transgender people are often left out of conversations regarding reproductive justice due to efforts to erase or invalidate their experiences. Many healthcare professionals will refuse to treat transgender patients or are uneducated about trans healthcare. According to a 2016 study, 80% of gynecologists and 81% of endocrinologists have not received training on transgender care (Transgender Healthcare). As a result, 50% of transgender people reported having to teach a health care provider about providing appropriate care (Transgender Sexual). This problem has directly led to trans people experiencing negative health effects. Transgender people experience HIV infection at four
times the national population level. African-American and Latino/a transgender people are at especially high risk for HIV and other STIs (Transgender Sexual). This can be attributed to a variety of issues: lack of transgender sexual education in schools, un-educated and/or discriminatory healthcare professionals, and trans patients' fears of going to the doctor in the first place. Trans men are often never considered when it comes to reproductive justice. Studies show that trans men who choose not to have a hysterectomy are often left out of conversations regarding pap smears and birth control even though they can still become pregnant or contract cervical cancer (Transgender Healthcare).
Disabled Women
Intersex Patients
Society typically defines disabled women as asexual and as dependent on able-bodied people, undermining these women's access to reproductive health (Mingus). This assumption about disabled people causes a variety of issues. Disabled women often receive little to no education about sex and reproductive health, which can cause a multitude of health issues later on. Many healthcare providers will also assume that disabled women are not sexually active, so standard questions about sexual activity may go unasked. As a result, necessary pelvic exams or screens for STDS may never be completed. Women with disabilities also have a long history of forced sterilization, are often seen as "unfit" mothers and are discouraged from having children, or not allowed to adopt children (Mingus). It is also important to note that inaccessible transportation and buildings can make reproductive healthcare difficult for disabled women to access in the first place.
Intersex people are another group that is almost always left out of conversations about reproductive health. Because of the fact that there is an almost universal standard that people born intersex should have "corrective" surgery (FaustoSterling), intersex people often have no idea about their true sex once they grow older. Most young children born with intersex anatomy are given medically unnecessary surgeries, often involving sterilization (Burrus). This extreme form of reproductive injustice has become common practice among the medical community, even though the treatment of intersex babies relies on casemanagement principles developed in the 1950s (FaustoSterling). The idea that intersex babies need to conform their bodies to either male or female is erasure of intersexuality. One advocate for intersex visibility argues that there are five, rather than two sexes (Fausto-Sterling), and that the medical community needs to change their practices based on this information.
HEALTH DISPARITIES & HEALTH CARE CONTRACEPTIVES & ABORTION These topics surrounding the reproductive health of women can be controversial in many ways. Having little to no access to contraceptives can lead to unwanted pregnancies and a cost of having an abortion. Contraceptives like Plan A, IUD and others are available to women but still have their limitations. You need to be 17 years or older or have a parent/guardian's consent to be able to receive any contraceptive. The problem with this is that teenagers may fear asking the adults in their lives and they also do not receive the right sex education. Most times, adults have discouraged their questions, linking teen pregnancy to their race and ethnicity (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey 192). Black and Latinx women are more likely to have an abortion for reasons argued to be the best for herself and the baby.
According to the KFF study, coverage options are limited and Medicaid lacks services available. Medicaid and other medical insurance options are also not available to all, there are specific requirements needed. In many cases, proof of citizenship or a social security number are needed. This is a problem for many low-income communities of immigrants. When it comes to abortion, that is already something hard to do for women due to the stigmas it brings. To make it worse, many states have put out policies that mandate women to see a counselor and have a waiting period before being able to go through with an abortion. This does not only put the women and child's life at risk but it also raises the medical costs, which many cannot afford.
STERILIZATION Many women do not have a full understanding of what sterilization means and the steps required to become sterilized. Therefore, women have been known to take advantage of and sterilized against their will. More specifically, women of color, immigrants, poor people, unmarried mothers, disabled and mentally ill women are most commonly put through unwanted sterilization (Ko). Sometimes making women or parents sign the waiver, knowing they are illiterate or have no
knowledge about sterilization. Eugenics sterilization, the sterilization of a person who is either mentally ill or mentally defective, was a means to protect society from those deemed inferior or dangerous (Ko). To this list were included the poor women of color and immigrants who they forced to be sterilized. The film No Más Bebés follows one of many forced sterilization issues in the United States. Even now, there are some California prisons that have approved sterilization for women inmates.
“The reproductive justice framework is to make sure that people listen to the needs and the voices of poor women, women of color and immigrant women who’ve been marginalized.” -Renee Tajima-Peña
HEALTH & WELLNESS Health Risks There are many health risks associated to lowincome people. Poor living conditions can lead to be infected with varies diseases or deadly sicknesses. HIV/AIDS can be very common, especially in women due to the lack of health insurance to receive contraceptives and then medical care. Women also tend to not have quick symptoms and doctors have stereotypes abut HIVpositive women (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey 198). These stereotypes often stop women from wanting to be safe and receive the medical attention needed. Other diseases can come from the food or water they consume within a low-income environment. Work places can often have many deadly toxins that are hazardous towards health. Due to the lack of resources and the need of an income, women do not hesitate in taking jobs and do not worry about going to the doctor.
Mental & Emotional Health Marginalized and oppressed people are commonly stereotyped as non-emotional and mentally healthy people. These characteristics are the result of this same oppression. Nonetheless, studies have shown that oppression and mental distress can cause serious mental health issues within people of marginalized communities (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey 192).
Poverty also correlates to mental and emotional health issues. Depressive symptoms have been seen in women without confidants, child-rearing assistance and among women that have experiences stressful conditions, particularly economic conflicts (Belle 385). When it comes to receiving the medical attention needed, this only increases the mental and emotional health of women. Seeking help within the community can be beneficial. Support groups are one option that is usually free of cost, but some people require help from a counselor or therapist which can be bring another economic burden to their wellbeing.
Coverage Availabilty As already mentioned, there are many barriers for low-income women to receive the health care necessary. In states that have not expanded Medicaid, women have limited options for what they are able to be covered for (KFF). For undocumented women, these options are not even available. For the most part, low-income women cannot afford a simple doctor's visit. Besides money and coverage, language can become another great barrier. Immigrants who are undocumented or are not proficient in English are faced by language barriers or fear of deportation (KFF). This can also lead to racism and discrimination which can cause health conflicts.
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE IN PRACTICE: ARGENTINA ABORTION RIGHTS
In 1921, Argentina law dictated that abortion would be illegal except in cases of rape or when the pregnancy put the mothers health or life at risk. (Daby & Moseley, 2021). This was to be the law surrounding abortion until in December of 2020, a few months shy of the laws 100 year mark, Argentina’s Congress passed a bill that now legalized abortions up until the 14th week of pregnancy (Watson, 2020). The activism surrounding this historic bill has been over 20 years in the making. Throughout the past few decades, this activism can be looked at through a Reproductive Justice lens. Through this lens, we will be able to see some of the strategies and components of this movement and use them for future movements through Reproductive Justice. In the literature there were theories, frameworks, and practices that were described in relation to Reproductive Justice movements and the importance for us to utilize these strategies for the future. Storytelling was one of the first components mentioned. “Storytelling is a crucial part of reproductive justice theory, an act of reclamation and resistance, because our theories grow from our activist locations” (Ross, Roberts, Derkas, Peoples, & Bridgewater, 2017, p. 203). The importance of using a social justice and humans rights lens when looking at Reproductive Justice is also explored throughout the literature. This perspective allows for the movement to be more expansive and allows for global resonance (Ross et al., 2017). Within the context of storytelling and using a social justice and human rights lens, Reproductive Justice also incorporates an intersectional perspective. Reproductive Justice recognizes how the oppressions that come from factors such as race, class, and gender are all interconnected and reliant on one another (Ross & Solinger, 2017). Throughout the timeline of activism that has been surrounding Argentina, we begin to see these components of Reproductive Justice play out within this movement. One of the earliest and oldest practices for any movement was also used in Argentina. This is the practice of giving testimony. Many women who did not have access to safe abortions spoke about their experiences and were able to explore what the reality of keeping abortion illegal meant and how it affected real women. Many of these women were lower class. Activists began to use social media in order to document their movement to a larger audience. The hashtag NiUnaMenos, which translates to Not One Women Less, was used in order to further the message that this movement created. The phrase actually started in response to public outrage over gender violence and the femicide that was happening in Argentina at the time. The activists that were fighting for abortion rights, collaborated with the human rights activists that were fighting for an end to the gendered violence that was happening throughout Argentina. Through this collaboration, the movement for abortion then became a fight for social justice and human rights. Not only did the statistics claim that every 36 hours a woman would die from gender based violence, but the leading cause of maternal mortality in Argentina was from illegal and unsafe abortions that were performed. In order for women’s rights to be achieved, having access to safe and extensive health care is included with the need for the end of violence against women (Daby & Moseley, 2021). Through this understanding of the different aspects that are all contributing to female death and harm, we can see how an intersectional lens is being woven into the foundation of this Reproductive Justice movement throughout Argentina. The fight and eventual success around abortion in Argentina is one example of how Reproductive Justice can be brought into reality. Ross defines Reproductive Justice as, " Reproductive Justice is a positive approach that links sexuality, health, and human rights to social justice movements by placing abortion and reproductive health issues in the larger context of the well-being and health of women, families and communities because reproductive justice seamlessly integrates those individual and group human rights particularly important to marginalized communities" (2011). Based on this definition, it is important that we continue Reproductive Justice in other areas in addition to abortion rights. We can see Reproductive Justice through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's movement, the continuous fight in the US for universal healthcare, and for LGBTQ rights that are being fought for in countries all over the world.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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