Forced SterilizationForced Sterilization

Kelly, Maria, Amanda, Lee, Marisa Kelly, Maria, Amanda, Lee, Marisa and Jimmyand Jimmy

Reasons for sterilization

• Eugenics: Prevent those with mental handicaps and mental illnesses from reproducing.

• Disadvantages of long-term contraception: administering the medication and supervising the administration. Costs and risks.

• Inability of the woman to care for a child. • Financial and emotional burdens on family.• Dysmenorrhea: easing trauma and physical

changes associated with a woman's menses. Unable to care for her own hygiene.

Physical Characteristics

• Anyone was was considered to be hereditarily ill with:– Congenital

feeblemindedness – Schizophrenia – Manic depression – Hereditary epilepsy – Huntington’s chorea – Hereditary blindness

– Hereditary deafness

– Serious physical deformities

• In addition, anyone who suffers from chronic alcoholism can be sterilized

Public policy in the US• Phase 1: eugenics movement in the beginning of

the twentieth century• Encouraged sterilization of persons who are

mentally handicapped• Phase 2: growing disapproval of mandatory

sterilization.• 1942 Supreme Court declaration that reproduction

is a fundamental human right.• Phase 3: Different viewpoints about which cases

that laws permits sterilization and which cases that laws do not permit sterilization.

• Raises the question who has the right to make the decision.

American Eugenics SocietyAmerican Eugenics Society

1926 "[Sterilization could] be applied to an ever 1926 "[Sterilization could] be applied to an ever widening circle of social discards, beginning widening circle of social discards, beginning always with the criminal, the diseased and the always with the criminal, the diseased and the insane, and extending gradually to types which insane, and extending gradually to types which may be called weaklings rather than defectives, may be called weaklings rather than defectives, and perhaps ultimately to worthless race types." and perhaps ultimately to worthless race types."

From The Passing of the Great Race by Madison From The Passing of the Great Race by Madison Grant, co-founder American Eugenics SocietyGrant, co-founder American Eugenics Society

Carrie BuckCarrie Buck

First woman sterilized by court orderFirst woman sterilized by court order Buck vs. Bell, 1924Buck vs. Bell, 1924 U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of

sterilization for the “feebleminded”sterilization for the “feebleminded” Oliver Wendall Holmes said, “It is better for all Oliver Wendall Holmes said, “It is better for all

the world if, instead of waiting to execute the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or let them starve degenerate offspring for crime or let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind.”are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind.”

“Law for Protection Against Genetically Defective Offspring,"• Harry H. Laughlin of Virginia formed the

initial draft and was awarded for his "services on behalf of racial hygiene."

• Early 1930’s, over 30 states adopted this mandatory sterilization law

• This model was also used by other countries, for example, Nazi Germany

Mandatory Sterilization for Black Youth During WWII

• During World War I, black African soldiers were brought in by the French during the Allied occupation.

• Some of these black soldiers married white German women that bore children referred to as "Rhineland Bastards" or the "Black Disgrace“

• In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote that he would eliminate all the children born of African-German descent because he considered them an "insult" to the German nation.

• The Nazis set up a secret group, Commission Number 3, to organize the sterilization of these offspring to keep intact the purity of the Aryan race.

• In 1937, all local authorities in Germany were to submit a list of all the children of African descent. Then, these children were taken from their homes or schools without parental permission and put before the commission. Once a child was decided to be of black descent, the child was taken immediately to a hospital and sterilized. About 400 children were medically sterilized

Forced Sterilization Today

• US Money donated to Peru for relief is believed to be used for sterilization

• Sweden accused of forcing sterilization in order to maintain a ‘beautiful’ population

• Philippine women receiving vaccination for tetanus containing Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG), an anti-pregnancy agent.

• In order to enforce the ‘one child’ policy, China often forces women breaking this law to undergo forced sterilization.