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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
- Creators: Link, Denise
Existing knowledge of Latina sexual health disparities has been discussed through traditional barriers such as financial, language, or location. Contraceptive use is proven to greater economic, social, and health outcomes across women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. This study aims to explore another factor, specifically among young Mexican-American women – whether or not cultural perceptions on sexual health impact the decision to use contraception. In- depth qualitative interviews were conducted among first-generation Mexican-American women ages 18-25 residing in Arizona. The results show that while negative cultural perceptions faced additional barriers in seeking contraception, it was not a complete deterrent for any participant. If anything, this motivated participants to actively destigmatize sexual health in their communities by speaking more openly about their experiences with others.
Throughout the twentieth century, women in the United States experienced varying degrees of reproductive freedom due to several different factors. Those factors included traditional gender roles, access to contraception, and eugenics, all of which impacted a woman's ability to find and receive healthcare. Many of the laws and standards upheld during this time allowed male politicians and physicians to regulate the field of medicine and therefore, ethics within medicine. The effects of these policies and politics' role in medicine have had a lasting impact on what qualifies as medical ethics in this country as well as more current issues, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Vasectomy is one of few widely available methods of contraception for people with male reproductive systems aside from condoms, abstinence, and the withdrawal method, and it is the only one of those options that can be permanent (Amory 2016). The procedure’s prominence has led me to investigate the history of vasectomy and particularly the evolution in vasectomy technique over time. Since its introduction in the late nineteenth century, the procedure has had a variety of impacts on many people across the world. In this research project, I have sought to analyze what the technical evolution of vasectomy reveals about the changing priorities of the medical systems that use it. In particular, I point to ways the eugenics movement’s attempts to control individual reproduction have led to both vasectomy’s efficacy and its restrictiveness.