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Sterilization (medicine) Article Proposed Additions and Notes

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Sterilization procedures can be undertaken voluntarily or promoted by governments. The legal framework surrounding sterilizations varies significantly between countries. In some cases, governments have historically or presently implemented compulsory or incentivized sterilization programs. On the other hand, certain nations have enacted laws that restrict or prohibit the practice.

United States

The United States is an example of a country that once implemented eugenic sterilization laws and practices. The first involuntary sterilization law was enacted in Indiana in 1907, later followed by a Supreme Court ruling in 1927 that legalized the practice nationwide. The 1927 Supreme Court decision in Buck v. Bell ruled that a state could perform forcible sterilization procedures on those deemed unfit for reproduction. As a result of this ruling, an estimated 70,000 Americans were forcibly sterilized . Both men and women were subjected to sterilization, with vasectomy being the most common procedure for men, and women often subjected to a salpingectomy, a comparatively more invasive procedure. These eugenic sterilizations had the greatest impacts on people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and people of color. In addition, states varied in the extent to which they employed these practices, with California operating one of the largest eugenic sterilization programs in the country. Beginning in 1909, California executed approximately one-third of the nation's eugenic sterilizations. Under California law, sterilization was permitted for individuals in hospitals and state homes who were classified as "feebleminded." These laws disproportionately targeted people of Latin American heritage, especially women and girls. By the late 1930s, the practice of widespread eugenic sterilization in the United States began to decline, with further declines following the 1942 Supreme Court Ruling in Skinner v. Oklahoma. However, the Buck v. Bell ruling has never been explicitly overturned.

Barriers to Elective Sterilizations

Individuals who desire to undergo elective sterilization may face barriers to accessing these procedures. In the United States, there has been a growing demand for sterilization procedures, especially among women. This is thought to be at least partially due to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, leaving the fate of abortion rights uncertain. However, due to skepticism from medical providers, cost, and insurance issues, many individuals desiring sterilization have been denied or prevented from undergoing the procedures. Patients of childbearing age without children report difficulty in finding physicians who are willing to perform sterilizations. In the United States, insurance companies differ in the extent to which they cover sterilization procedures. Under the Affordable Care Act, FDA approved female sterilization procedures are covered when prescribed by a physician. However, male reproductive procedures, like vasectomies, are not required to be covered. These differing levels of coverage may create cost barriers, preventing some individuals desiring sterilization procedures from accessing them.