Sexual and Reproductive Justice

NYCHealth

4 Nov 201603:50

Summary

TLDRThe speaker shares her journey to reproductive justice, highlighting her challenging birth experience as a Medicaid recipient and the lack of autonomy in medical decisions. She discusses her sexual assault experiences and the absence of representation in reproductive health conversations, emphasizing the importance of inclusive sex education. The narrative touches on the historical coercion of contraceptive choices and the need for trans-friendly services. It concludes with a call for community healing through inclusive dialogue on sexual and reproductive justice, acknowledging the disparities faced by black women in maternal health.

Takeaways

🤰 The speaker's journey into reproductive justice began with their experience of giving birth, not having an abortion.
💡 During their pregnancy, decisions were made without their input, and they felt ignored as a Medicaid recipient.
😔 The speaker experienced four incidents of sexual assault, leading them to self-medicate before seeking help or counseling.
😲 They were surprised to see another Asian woman during their first abortion, highlighting a lack of community representation in reproductive health spaces.
🧑‍🏫 The speaker wished for comprehensive sex education that included visibility for LGBTQ+ relationships, especially between black women.
⚖️ Reproductive justice could have changed the speaker's self-worth if they had been exposed to it earlier.
🛑 There's a history of women being coerced into contraceptive choices without full understanding or consent.
🩺 The speaker felt dehumanized during their cesarean surgery, which turned the experience into something traumatic.
⚕️ Black women in New York City are 12 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, highlighting serious health inequities.
📣 The speaker emphasizes the importance of including all voices to address sexual and reproductive justice issues and calls for community healing.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial experience with reproductive justice?
-The speaker's initial experience with reproductive justice was not related to having an abortion but rather her experience of giving birth while being a Medicaid recipient during law school, where decisions were made about her without her input.
How did the speaker feel about the lack of representation in reproductive health conversations?
-The speaker felt alone and isolated because she did not see her community or her stories reflected in conversations related to reproductive health.
What was the speaker's reaction when she saw another Asian woman in the waiting room during her first abortion?
-The speaker was shocked to see another Asian woman in the waiting room, indicating a sense of rarity and lack of representation in such settings.
Why did the speaker feel the need for sex education in schools?
-The speaker wished for sex education in schools to provide visibility and understanding for people like her, especially to see representations of love and relationships that reflect her own experiences.
How did the speaker's immigrant background affect her access to healthcare?
-The speaker's immigrant background meant there were limited trans-friendly services and a lack of trans-knowledgeable doctors, which affected her access to appropriate healthcare.
What is one of the inequities highlighted by the speaker in the context of pregnancy-related deaths?
-Black women in New York City are 12 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, which is an inequity that a sexual and reproductive justice framework aims to address.
What was the speaker's experience with sexual assault, and how did she initially cope?
-The speaker experienced four instances of sexual assault in her life and initially coped by self-medicating before seeking counseling, feeling guilty and as if it was her fault.
How did the speaker feel about the cesarean surgery she underwent?
-The speaker found her cesarean surgery traumatizing and frightening due to being treated as a non-person, which was unnecessary.
What is the speaker's stance on personal autonomy over one's body?
-The speaker is firm in her belief that her body is her own, and no one, including clinics, boyfriends, or parents, should make decisions for her body.
What does the speaker suggest is a necessary step for community healing?
-The speaker suggests that for community healing, it is necessary to hear from everyone, emphasizing the importance of every individual's voice.
Why is it significant for government agencies to gather input on sexual and reproductive justice?
-The speaker views it as a significant step for government agencies to bring people together to hear their thoughts on sexual and reproductive justice, as it shows a willingness to address and correct existing inequities.

Outlines

00:00

🤰 Personal Journey to Reproductive Justice

The speaker shares her path to reproductive justice, which was not initiated by her own abortion experience but rather by the lack of autonomy during her childbirth while on Medicaid. She faced decisions made without her consent and was ignored when she asked questions. The speaker also discloses her experiences with sexual assault and self-medication due to feelings of guilt. She highlights the importance of representation in reproductive health conversations, expressing a desire for inclusive sex education and visibility for underrepresented communities. The speaker emphasizes the significance of bodily autonomy and the need to correct historical injustices in contraceptive choices. She also points out the stark racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, specifically the higher mortality rate among Black women in New York City compared to white women.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Reproductive Justice

Reproductive justice is the concept of advocating for the right of individuals to have control over their reproductive choices, including access to abortion, contraception, and maternal care. In the video, the speaker discusses how experiences of pregnancy, abortion, and lack of proper healthcare highlight the need for a reproductive justice framework to address inequities in the healthcare system, particularly for marginalized communities.

💡Medicaid

Medicaid is a government-funded program in the U.S. that provides healthcare to low-income individuals. The speaker mentions being a Medicaid recipient during her pregnancy and describes how decisions were made about her healthcare without her input, reflecting the broader issue of disenfranchisement in medical settings for low-income women.

💡Sexual Assault

Sexual assault refers to any non-consensual sexual act. The speaker reveals that she has experienced multiple instances of sexual assault, which deeply impacted her mental health and led to feelings of guilt and self-blame. This personal experience underscores the emotional trauma associated with sexual violence and the importance of support systems in dealing with it.

💡Self-medicate

Self-medication involves using drugs, alcohol, or other substances to cope with stress or trauma without professional guidance. The speaker admits to self-medicating after her experiences of sexual assault, highlighting the struggles of individuals who lack access to adequate mental health resources.

💡Cultural Representation

Cultural representation refers to how different communities and identities are visible or reflected in social and educational spaces. The speaker talks about feeling isolated when dealing with reproductive health issues, as her Asian identity wasn’t reflected in the abortion clinic, emphasizing the importance of diverse representation in healthcare and education.

💡Sex Education

Sex education refers to the formal teaching of sexual health, relationships, and reproductive rights in schools. The speaker emphasizes the lack of sex education that included representation of queer relationships, particularly between women of color, noting that such visibility could have positively impacted her self-esteem and understanding of relationships.

💡Contraceptive Coercion

Contraceptive coercion occurs when individuals are pressured into using birth control methods without full understanding or consent. The speaker references a historical pattern of women, particularly women of color, being coerced into contraceptive decisions, which aligns with the broader theme of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy.

💡Cesarean Surgery

A cesarean section (C-section) is a surgical procedure to deliver a baby. The speaker describes how her experience of undergoing a C-section without adequate communication or consent contributed to trauma, reflecting a recurring issue of women being treated as non-persons in medical settings, particularly women of color.

💡Bodily Autonomy

Bodily autonomy is the principle that individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies without external interference. The speaker passionately asserts that no one—whether a clinic, boyfriend, or parent—should have the right to make decisions about her body, which is a core tenet of reproductive justice.

💡Health Inequities

Health inequities refer to the unequal access to healthcare services and outcomes based on race, gender, or socioeconomic status. The speaker highlights a striking example of Black women in New York City being 12 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, illustrating the systemic racial disparities that reproductive justice aims to address.

Highlights

The speaker's introduction to reproductive justice was through her childbirth experience rather than abortion.

During law school, the speaker experienced a lack of input in medical decisions due to being a Medicaid recipient.

The speaker recalls being ignored when asking questions during her pregnancy.

She shares her personal history of four sexual assault incidents.

The speaker initially self-medicated to cope with the guilt and trauma from sexual assault.

Her surprise at seeing another Asian woman in the waiting room during her first abortion.

The importance of seeing one's community represented in reproductive health conversations.

The absence of sex education in schools and the desire to see diverse relationships represented.

The lack of visibility for people of color in sexual reproductive justice conversations.

The potential impact of early exposure to sexual reproductive justice on self-worth.

Historical coercion of women into contraceptive choices they didn't understand or choose.

The speaker's traumatic cesarean surgery due to being treated as a non-person.

The right of parents to have their children grow up in good schools and healthy environments.

The speaker's assertion of bodily autonomy and the right to make decisions about one's own body.

The lack of trans-friendly services and knowledgeable doctors in the speaker's immigrant community.

Black women in New York City face a 12 times higher mortality rate from pregnancy-related causes compared to white women.

The significance of government agencies listening to community thoughts on sexual and reproductive justice.

The necessity of hearing from everyone in the community for healing and progress.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of every individual's voice in the conversation about sexual and reproductive justice.