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Review
. 2023 Jan-Dec:19:17455057231197166.
doi: 10.1177/17455057231197166.

Centering disability visibility in reproductive health care: Dismantling barriers to achieve reproductive equity

Jordan Fletcher  1 , Halina Yee  1 , Bonnie Ong  2 , Rosemary Claire Roden  3
Affiliations
Review

Centering disability visibility in reproductive health care: Dismantling barriers to achieve reproductive equity

Jordan Fletcher et al. Womens Health (Lond). 2023 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Access to comprehensive and culturally competent reproductive health care is essential for individuals and communities to realize and achieve health and well-being, as one prefers. The disability community represents a diverse group of individuals with a wide spectrum of functional, physical, sensory, and/or neurodivergent abilities. Existing barriers to reproductive health care are a consequence of environmental and attitudinal barriers, not from the disabilities themselves. People with disabilities are also not frequently centered or included in discussions surrounding reproductive rights. This article reviews the intersection of the Disability Justice Movement and the history of discrimination in the United States against people with disabilities with a particular focus on reproductive oppression. We discuss the mechanisms of inequity and barriers to health care, including financial barriers, inaccessible medical facilities, provider discrimination and competency, and guardianship; as well as the importance of open access to contraception, menstrual health, and abortion for people with disabilities. Finally, we explore the intersection of the Disability Justice Movement and the Reproductive Justice Movement to better promote reproductive autonomy.

Keywords: abortion; contraception; disability; justice; reproductive health care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dr Roden is a clinical Nexplanon® trainer for Organon, Inc. No other co-authors have anything to declare.

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