Reproductive Justice

The resources highlighted on this guide are meant to function as a starting point, as well as an introduction to topics relating to reproductive rights and justice. It is broken down into a variety of sections:

• General Search Strategies: The pages in this section go over a variety of ways you can find sources on these topics. It's broken up into finding books, articles, journals, legal sources, and government documents.
• Topical Pages: There are several pages dedicated to individual subtopics within Reproductive Justice. Each of these pages include selected books, films, and other resources to get you started learning about each issue.
  • Bodily Autonomy and Reproductive Justice: This page showcases a variety of resources that will help give an idea of the issues relating to bodily autonomy and reproductive justice.
  • Contraception: This page showcases a variety of resources relating to contraception.
  • Abortion: This page showcases a variety of resources relating to abortion.
  • Fertility and Sterilization: This page showcases a variety of resources relating to fertility and sterilization.
• Local Resources: This page includes links to local resources relating to reproductive justice.
• LGBTQIA+ Health Services: This page includes links to a variety of resources relating to LGBTQIA+ health.

Reproductive Rights

Generally, Reproductive Rights can be defined as, "a broad set of policy and legal issues including: the right to legal, safe, and affordable birth control and abortion services; the right to access quality reproductive and maternal health care, including (in)fertility services; the right to education, information, and other conditions that enable maximum self-determination and protection from sexual coercion and violence, sexually transmitted infections, and coerced sterilization, abortion, and contraception; as well as protection from gender-based practices such as female, as well as male, genital cutting practices" ("Reproductive Rights,"  2011, para 2).

Reproductive Justice

The National Reproductive Justice Organization, SisterSong defines Reproductive Justice as, "the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities" (para 1), adding that "There is no choice where there is no access." Access often denied to People of Color, even if the legal right exists. Reproductive Justice moves beyond abortion rights, but focuses on a more holistic view including "contraception, comprehensive sex education, STI prevention and care, alternative birth options, adequate prenatal and pregnancy care, domestic violence assistance, adequate wages to support our families, safe homes and so much more" (para 4).

Bodily Autonomy

In their State of the Population report from 2021,  the United Nation's Population Fund defines bodily autonomy as, "the power and agency to make choices, without fear and violence or having someone else decide for us" Examples of bodily autonomy are, "being able to decide whether, when or with whom to have sex," "making your own decisions about when or whether you want to become pregnant," or "the freedom to go to a doctor whenever you need one. ("My Body is My Own," 2021, p.7).