Coercion Is at the Heart of Social Conservatives’ Reproductive Health Agenda

[摘要] In October 2017, the first case of the Trump administration attempting to forcibly prevent an unaccompanied immigrant minor in federal custody from obtaining an abortion made headlines around the United States. At the center of these actions is the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is led by an ardent abortion-rights opponent. Lawsuits and media reports have revealed that officials are using a variety of tactics to pressure young women not to have the abortion they requested, including physically barring individuals in the government’s care from accessing the procedure. One attorney, speaking of her client, said that officials “literally held her hostage” 1 to force her to continue the pregnancy. The blatant coercion in these cases is shocking in its own right. But the ruthless way in which the Trump administration is attempting to impose its antiabortion ideology on these young women also serves as a vivid reminder that coercive intent and practices are at the very heart of social conservatives’ reproductive health agenda. During the 2016 election, Donald Trump enjoyed strong support from social conservatives. 2 They see the Trump administration, combined with conservative control of both the U.S. House and Senate, as a “turning point” for their agenda. 3

[学科分类] 卫生学

[关键词] Reproductive Health in Crisis;abstinence-only;birth control;Global Gag Rule;Hyde Amendment;Medicaid;Planned Parenthood;public health;restrictions;state policies;U.S. International Family Planning Assistance;women of color;reproductive justice