How Can We Expand the Canon of Reproductive Bioethics to be Inclusive of Reproductive Justice?

Abstract: Bioethicists play a crucial role in shaping social justice discourse to address the existing inequities in health and healthcare. However, despite its roots in justice, the field of bioethics has not given due attention to healthcare inequities, especially those driven by structural racism. Moreover, it has failed to prioritize the work of scholars who focus on these issues, particularly concerning reproductive justice and its impact on minoritized groups. Reproductive Justice frameworks emphasize that reproductive choices and outcomes are shaped by one's social, structural, political, and physical environment. These frameworks also highlight the right to have children, to not have children, and to give birth and parent in safe and sustainable environments. Now more than ever, it is crucial to apply these insights in bioethical inquiry and practice.

Panelists will utilize narratives and justice-oriented scholarship to center the need for discussing and actively engaging with the reproductive healthcare needs, values, and preferences of minoritized groups, namely Black women, families, and communities. Second, we highlight how these historical reflections and perspectives are fundamental in developing comprehensive reproductive bioethics frameworks, such as intersectionality to responsibly address ethical and equity issues in the healthcare of Black women. Third, we draw from three case studies to offer examples of utilizing intersectionality and reproductive justice in bioethical analyses focused on: (a) reproductive and maternal health, (b) prenatal genetics and sickle cell disease, and (c) policing and medical surveillance of Black women’s bodies.