Sterilization on Puerto Rican women in the '70's

Sterilization, Say What?

Presenter: Sieanna Narine

Co-Presenter(s):
Shannon Clemons

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 19-20

Semester: Spring

Department: Chicano and Latino Studies

Funding Source/Sponsor: SYRCE Symposium

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1ywkJ6Vv8GuqJcxZZaDaPSU_R5kP40oTm

Abstract:
Women have lost control of their bodies through the imposition of men and their sexist beliefs on the functions and purpose of female bodies since the beginning of time. Perplexingly, a woman's voice was never taken into account when legislation and regulation were being made, in regards to her body and what she can or can not do. Scientific exploration and laws made in the United States were driven by prejudice notions that granted the government total social control over its people. This power over society gave the U.S. government the ability to mass communicate their misogynistic and racial notions through government programs. A Eugenics Board was created in the U.S. which forefronted the majority of the despicable acts that took away the rights of women of color, the disabled and mentally ill. Between the 1930s and the 1970s, Puerto Rican women experienced heavy violations over their bodies when they were unknowingly coerced into sterilization and ultimately became the U.S. guinea pig for the development of birth control.