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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Jessica R. Arons, Women's Health Project, Center for American Progress, 1333 H Street, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20005, 202.741.6294, jarons@americanprogress.org

Although “choice” has become synonymous with abortion rights in the public discourse, many in the reproductive rights movement are beginning to re-evaluate the effectiveness of a “choice” model. Some have questioned whether the language and values of “choice” are sufficiently inclusive and adequately address issues of disparity. For instance, the Supreme Court has declared that the legal right to choose abortion is not impeded by government policies that favor childbirth and disfavor abortion, ignoring the reality that low-income women facing unintended pregnancy cannot make an independent decision between childbirth and abortion when they rely on the government to pay for their health care.

As an alternative model, reproductive justice offers a more expansive frame that combines traditional reproductive rights priorities with social justice values. By placing the oppressed at the center of the analysis, the reproductive justice framework allows us to consider the impact of public policy on all populations and does not presume that policies that benefit one group of people will benefit all groups of people. Such a model may be particularly useful as we begin to develop positions on new and emerging reprogenetic technologies. Where the “choice” model may lead to conflicts between the individual and the community and between the woman and the embryo or fetus, the reproductive justice model offers an opportunity for finding policy solutions that equitably balance the interests of all involved.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Define reproductive justice.
• Compare models of reproductive justice and reproductive choice.
• Apply a reproductive justice framework to reprogenetic issues such as infertility diagnosis and treatment; assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis; egg donation; surrogacy; stem cell research; genetic screening, testing, diagnosis, and counseling; and sex selection.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation