Reproductive Justice in Mississippi: A Call for Reform and Acknowledgement

Author

Andie UdzielaFollow

Date of Award

Spring 4-25-2024

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Women and Gender Studies

First Advisor

Jennifer Venable

Second Advisor

Angie LaGrotteria

Third Advisor

Eva Payne

Relational Format

Literature and Healthcare Policy Analysis within the Frameworks of Intersectionality and the Values of the Reproductive Justice Movement

Abstract

In this thesis, I apply the values of the Reproductive Justice Movement to reproductive healthcare resources in Mississippi to advocate for reproductive policy reform. I begin by navigating the historic racial discrimination in gynecology and how it manifested in Mississippi. Dr Sim’s abusive experimentation on Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy depict how Anti-Black racism took root in gynecology and obstetrics and was later expanded on by the eugenic goals of white supremacy and the feminist movement through Margaret Sanger and the Mississippi Appendectomy. Then I discuss the current availability of reproductive care in Mississippi to low-income individuals to emphasize socioeconomic and racial disparities within reproductive resources. In Mississippi, the continuation of racial and socioeconomic disparities within maternal and infant mortality continue despite state programs such as Medicaid’s Maternity Services, Medicaid’s Family Planning Waiver, PHRM/ISS, and Planned Parenthood. I use this context to analyze current reproductive healthcare, highlighting the aspects that should be conserved in future healthcare policy and the ways Mississippi’s reproductive healthcare policies need to be modified to prevent continued discrimination against marginalized populations. I frequently reference two of the rights outlined by Loretta Ross, “the right to have a child” and “the right to not have a child,” and Kimberle Crenshaw’s definition of intersectionality when evaluating the current reproductive programs and policies and use these parameters to create my recommended reforms. Although these recommendations depend on the influence of Roe v. Wade and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, one recommendation is certain: both reproductive policy makers and medical professionals need to be aware of Reproductive Justice so that each individual feels supported and seen throughout their treatment, preventing the continuation of discrimination in their own relationships, offices, and communities.

Recommended Citation

Udziela, Andie, "Reproductive Justice in Mississippi: A Call for Reform and Acknowledgement" (2024). Honors Theses. 3176.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3176