🫂 Everyone with a Body

Reproductive restrictions attack everyone's fundamental right to control their own body and make their own healthcare decisions. Sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential human rights that affect all people throughout their lives, regardless of gender, age, or background.

Key forms of oppression:

• Loss of autonomy over family planning and pregnancy decisions

• Political interference in medical decision-making between patients and providers

• Economic barriers preventing access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare

• Geographic disparities creating unequal access based on location

• Gender-based violence and inequality affecting health outcomes

• Community instability when reproductive rights are unevenly distributed

Source: World Health Organization

Pregnant people face systematic barriers to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, with restrictions on abortion access intersecting with inadequate maternal care, resulting in preventable pregnancy complications and deaths that disproportionately affect people of color. Black pregnant people face maternal mortality rates 3.3 times higher than white pregnant people due to structural racism and provider bias.

Key forms of oppression:

• Limited access to abortion care forcing continuation of unwanted pregnancies

• Inadequate prenatal and maternal healthcare leading to preventable complications

• Provider bias leading to dismissal of concerns and delayed care

• Higher maternal mortality rates, particularly for Black pregnant people (3.3x higher risk)

• Structural racism creating barriers to quality care throughout pregnancy

• Clinical bias affecting pain management and treatment decisions

Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

People of color experience reproductive health disparities due to structural racism, facing barriers from inadequate insurance coverage to provider bias, resulting in poor outcomes including maternal mortality rates. Structural racism operates through housing discrimination, educational inequities, and healthcare system barriers that compound reproductive health risks.

Key forms of oppression:

• Severe maternal mortality disparities with disproportionate death rates

• Limited insurance coverage, especially in non-Medicaid expansion states

• Provider bias and dismissal of concerns leading to delayed or inadequate care

• Historical trauma from forced sterilization and medical experimentation

• Geographic barriers with clinic closures disproportionately affecting communities of color

• Higher rates of unintended pregnancy and limited contraceptive access

• Structural racism embedded in healthcare systems and policies

Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Partners are often excluded from reproductive health conversations despite their significant influence on reproductive outcomes, with limited education about their roles and responsibilities. Partner’s control of financial resources and their reactions to pregnancy disclosure critically shape reproductive decisions and access to care.

Key forms of oppression:

• Exclusion from comprehensive sex education and family planning programs

• Limited access to partner-specific reproductive health services

• Lack of education about reproductive coercion and consent

• Insufficient involvement in contraceptive counseling and decision-making

• Limited resources for processing pregnancy loss and reproductive decisions

• Financial gatekeeping that controls partner’s access to reproductive healthcare

Source: National Library of Medicine

LGBTQIA+ people face compounded discrimination as reproductive restrictions intersect with attacks on gender identity and sexual orientation, creating barriers to inclusive healthcare and family-building options. Reproductive restrictions directly impact queer people, non-binary people, and transgender men who need reproductive healthcare, while threats extend to contraception, hormone therapy, and IVF.

Key forms of oppression:

• Limited access to inclusive reproductive healthcare providers who understand LGBTQIA+ needs

• Discrimination in fertility treatment, adoption, and surrogacy access for same-sex couples

• Lack of comprehensive sex education that includes LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences

• Exclusion from family planning programs designed primarily for heterosexual couples

• Intersection of anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation targeting bodily autonomy

• Threats to hormone therapy and gender-affirming treatments alongside reproductive care

Source: Human Rights Campaign

Undocumented and immigrant individuals face unique barriers including fear of deportation, language barriers, and historical exclusion from federal programs, with policy changes further restricting healthcare access. Half of undocumented immigrant adults and nearly one in five lawfully present immigrant adults remain uninsured, compared to 8% of U.S.-born citizens.

Key forms of oppression:

• Fear of deportation prevents people from seeking healthcare (27% avoided care due to immigration fears)

• Exclusion from federally funded family planning programs

• Language barriers and lack of culturally competent care

• ICE raids and surveillance affecting healthcare access

• Limited insurance options and high out-of-pocket costs

• Employment in low-wage jobs less likely to offer health benefits

• Public charge fears creating barriers even for eligible families

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

Rural residents often live in healthcare deserts and face vast travel distances to limited providers, with poverty compounding access barriers. These communities experience higher rates of teen pregnancy, maternal mortality, and unintended pregnancy while having fewer resources and providers to address reproductive health needs.

Key forms of oppression:

• Severe provider shortages, especially for reproductive healthcare specialists

• Long travel distances to access abortion care (hundreds of miles for some)

• Limited public transportation and infrastructure barriers

• Hospital and clinic closures, particularly in non-Medicaid expansion states

• Inadequate broadband access limiting telehealth options

• Restrictive local policies limiting sex education and reproductive options

• Higher out-of-pocket costs due to limited insurance coverage and low wages

Source: The Century Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation

Incarcerated people experience systematic violation of reproductive rights through denial of comprehensive healthcare, coercive practices, and family separation, with the criminal justice system functioning as a driver of reproductive oppression. Seventy-five percent of incarcerated people with uteruses are of reproductive age, and two-thirds are mothers and primary caregivers to young children.

Key forms of oppression:

• Shackling during childbirth and lack of adequate prenatal care

• Immediate separation from newborns (often within 24 hours)

• Limited access to contraception and abortion services

• Historical and ongoing forced sterilization practices

• Loss of parental rights at higher rates than non-incarcerated parents

• Surveillance and reporting requirements that violate privacy

• Barriers to accessing court-ordered procedures like abortion care

Source: American Journal of Public Health

Young people and students face age-based discrimination and parental consent barriers while navigating reproductive healthcare needs, with inadequate sex education creating additional vulnerabilities. Nearly six million students attend college in abortion-restricted states, while 36 states require parental involvement for minors seeking abortion care, often forcing dangerous delays or preventing access entirely.

Key forms of oppression:

• Parental consent laws preventing confidential access to care

• Inadequate comprehensive sex education in schools

• Financial barriers and limited insurance coverage for students

• Campus health services restrictions, especially at conservative institutions

• Fear of violence or abandonment when disclosure is required

• Intersection of reproductive restrictions with student debt and economic insecurity

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights, Advocates for Youth

Survivors of rape and incest face additional trauma when forced to carry pregnancies resulting from violence, with international human rights bodies recognizing that denying abortion access in these cases can constitute torture or cruel, inhuman treatment.

Key forms of oppression:

• Requirement to provide forensic evidence or police reports to access abortion care

• Judicial authorization requirements creating obstacles to care

• Evidentiary burdens that delay care beyond legal gestational limits

• Additional traumatization through forced continuation of pregnancies from violence

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

Disabled people face systematic discrimination rooted in eugenic ideologies, with barriers ranging from inaccessible facilities to forced sterilization while being denied autonomy and decision-making. People with disabilities experience sexual violence at three times the rate of non-disabled people and face removal of their children based solely on disability status.

Key forms of oppression:

• Forced sterilization and guardianship restrictions on reproductive choices

• Inaccessible healthcare facilities and equipment preventing adequate care

• Dismissal of contraceptive needs and sexual healthcare by providers

• Removal of children from disabled parents based solely on disability status

• Limited access to comprehensive, accessible sex education

• Higher rates of sexual violence (3x higher) with inadequate trauma-informed care

• Guardianship systems preventing reproductive decision-making autonomy

Source: Center for American Progress

Older adults are often excluded from reproductive health conversations despite ongoing needs for gynecologic care, cancer screenings, and specialized support. People face physical and financial barriers to care while bearing disproportionate caregiving responsibilities for family members, often accepting reproductive health problems as a "natural" part of aging.

Key forms of oppression:

• Exclusion from reproductive health policy discussions and funding

• Limited access to specialized care and hormone therapy

• Reduced screening rates for reproductive cancers

• Ageist assumptions about sexual health needs

• Caregiver burden affecting their own healthcare access

• Provider lack of training on post-reproductive health needs

• Physical and financial barriers preventing access to services

Source: National Library of Medicine

Individuals and couples pursuing fertility treatment face increasing restrictions that prioritize ideology over medical evidence, making IVF less effective, more expensive, and excluding LGBTQIA+ families and single people from accessing care.

Key forms of oppression:

• Personhood laws threatening standard IVF practices like embryo selection and storage

• "Restricted IVF" limiting embryo creation and prohibiting genetic screening

• "Blame-and-shame fertility" approaches stigmatizing modern reproductive technology

• Exclusion of single people, unmarried couples, and same-sex couples from treatment

• Targeted restrictions making IVF financially and logistically difficult

• Forced transfer of all embryos at once, risking dangerous multiple pregnancies

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights, NPR

Medical professionals face criminalization, licensing threats, and moral injury when restrictive laws prevent them from providing evidence-based reproductive healthcare, leading to provider shortages and deserts that harm all patients.

Key forms of oppression:

• Criminal penalties and loss of medical licenses for providing standard care

• Forced role as "agents of the state" reporting on patients' pregnancy outcomes

• Legal liability for providing evidence-based care versus following restrictive laws

• Provider exodus from restrictive states creating healthcare deserts

• Violation of patient-provider relationships through mandated scripts and surveillance

• Moral injury from being unable to provide comprehensive, evidence-based care

Source: American Journal of Public Health

Insurance providers and healthcare institutions face regulatory conflicts between evidence-based coverage decisions and state restrictions, creating administrative burdens and limiting their ability to provide comprehensive coverage and support. Access disparities persist across income levels, with people from poor households having significantly worse access to care than those from high-income households.

Key forms of oppression:

• Prohibition on covering FDA-approved reproductive healthcare services

• Administrative burdens from varying state-by-state restriction requirements

• Legal liability for coverage decisions that conflict with state restrictions

• Network adequacy challenges when providers leave restrictive states

• Increased costs from regulatory compliance and out-of-state care coordination

• Coverage disparities affecting low-income populations disproportionately

Source: National Library of Medicine,

Healthcare institutions face legal jeopardy when balancing patient care with state restrictions, creating environments where medical decision-making is compromised by legal concerns rather than patient needs. Geographic disparities in access create additional barriers, with rural and underserved areas experiencing worse access to care.

Key forms of oppression:

• Legal liability for emergency care decisions involving pregnancy complications

• Institutional policies restricting evidence-based care due to legal uncertainty

• Staff training challenges when legal requirements conflict with medical standards

• Ethics committee conflicts between patient welfare and legal compliance

• Emergency department delays in treating pregnancy complications due to legal concerns

• Closure or relocation threats for institutions providing comprehensive reproductive care

• Geographic disparities creating unequal access based on location

Source: National Library of Medicine

Many religious leaders and congregations support reproductive freedom as part of their moral values, but face attacks and silencing when they speak out. Meanwhile, people of faith often struggle with shame and fear when seeking reproductive healthcare due to religious stigma.

Key forms of oppression:

• Faith leaders who support reproductive choice face harassment and job loss

• Policy decisions based on religious ideology rather than medical evidence

• Congregants fear judgment from their religious communities when seeking care

• Faith-based healthcare systems deny comprehensive reproductive services

• Lawmakers imposing their personal beliefs on healthcare policy instead of following medical evidence

Source: Interfaith Alliance