Forced Sterilization

Markeisha A. Knott History of Medicine in the U. S. Class 421 oblige Sterilization Throughout history there have eternally been comp one(a)nt part where the goernment has required citizens to put up with some sort of medical modus operandi. even though some of these procedures were commonplace in the past, they be now considered ethically wrong. obligate sterilization is an example of this, because it denies a woman of the ability to stripped children, and denies a man the ability to inseminate.Sterilization is outlined as the act of do an organism bare or infertile (unable to reproduce). When most sight expose the words forced sterilization the first thing that often comes to forefront are the Nazis. In the 1930s the Nazis introduced a massive, compulsory sterilization of a large segment of the German population (Rosenberg, Jennifer). The government believed that the Germans with the best genes had been killed discharge in the Second World War, while those with the wo rse genes stayed behind and didnt fight, and were then free to procreate more of their bad genes.Believing that that the preservation of the optimum German genes were more important that an individuals ripes, the government had the dictum to do whatever it took to preserve these optimal genes. However, Germany was not the first res publica to perform forced sterilization (Rosenberg, Jennifer). Even though in the united States we tend to overlook this as something that did not happen, it did. It is part of our past, and will always be part of American history.During the 1900s the United States had a eugenics design in which the purpose was to attempt to perfect the gene pool, with the motif that if connections degenerates, like criminals and the mentally ill were barred from having children then confederacys problems would disappear (Webster University). American biologists like Charles B. Davenport and Harry H. Laughlin supported the idea of keeping the Anglo-American race p ure. Their belief was that most ailments and kindly problems were hereditary, like indigence and criminality (Piotrowski, Crista). in that respectfore, people with good enes should be encouraged to pass on their genes by having more children, while those with bad genes should be barred from reproducing. There were many types of people who fell under the label of being genetically inferior. This included epileptics, manic-depressives, prostitutes, alcoholics, the homeless, and criminals. People who fell under any one of these categories or who caught the negative attention of authorities were deemed feeble-minded by the court, and were legally forced to undergo sterilization (Piotrowski, Crista). Several other countries used forced sterilization as well, though for different reasons.Peru, for example, was faced with a large population skip and not enough resources to support all the people. So they came up with a solution making a target number of the amount of people to e steril ised every year, which would effectively lower the population if the broadcast worked. n 1996, it was 100,000. It was not met that year, but the target for the next year was increase to 130,000 and in that year, the quota was met. Even though sterilization can be performed on both men and women, it is mostly women who are victims of forced sterilization since they are the one who actually have babies (Webster University).About 40 years ago in North Carolina, it wasnt uncommon that a single mother on eudaemonia, or a mental tolerant in a hospital to be forcibly and unknowingly sterilized against their will. Of course at the time, over half of all the states in the U. S. had eugenics laws well into the 1970s (Rose, Julie). North Carolina is soon thinking of compensating the victims of forced sterilization, most of whom were poor and uneducated, blacks and whites alike. One woman, Elaine Riddick, now 57, was sterilized at age fourteen because the state deemed her promiscuous and a squabble maker.Riddick was actually a juvenile girl living in leanness and hunger, and was a victim of rape. While giving birth through cesarian to her only son, the product of said rape, the reestablishs also sterilized her. There was go for form on which Riddicks illiterate grandmother signed the act for the procedure with an X. Whats worse is that Riddick didnt find near her being sterile until she was married, 19, and trying to have more children. Riddick is just one of the many sharing the same story. Nearly 7,600 men and women as young as 10 have been sterilized in North Carolina.Social workers would squash women to have the operation under threat of losing their public assistance, because sterilization was viewed as a way to cut spending on public welfare (Julie Rose). Forced sterilization is a procedure that violates several medical ethics, which is defined as a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the radiation pattern ofmedicine (Wikipedia ). This procedure violates three medical ethics autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence. Every patient is given the right to choose or refuse treatment the right of autonomy.However, forced sterilization doesnt give the patient the chance or ability to make the decision themselves, because the government chooses for them. Beneficence explains that a doctor must always act on a treatment or procedure that is in the best interest of the patient. Sterilization wasnt in any way in the best interest of the patients it was performed on. It was only in the best, selfish, interests of the government who wanted to keep the Anglo-American race pure and eradicate social problems. Forced sterilization also violates non-maleficence, which simply translates to three words Do No Harm.Many of the patients that were sterilized underwent the procedure without their own knowledge, not knowing of their barren status until years after when they began to question their failed attempts at having childr en. I am completely against this concept of the government forcing its citizens to do a medical procedure against their will, or performing it while the patient is unaware of it is beyond inconsiderate. Its cruel, and plainly said, its downright shady. Works Cited Medical Ethics. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Dec. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 011. . Piotrowski, Crista. Dark Chapter of American History U. S. Court Battle Over Forced Sterilization. Home Common Dreams. Common Dreams, 21 July 2000. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. . Rosenberg, Jennifer. Sterilization. 20th century History. About. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. . Rosenberg, Julie. North Carolina Considers Compensating Forced Sterilization Victims NPR. NPR National Public piano tuner News &038 Analysis, World, US, Music &038 Arts NPR. 22 June 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. . Women and Global tender Rights. Webster University. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. .