Sterilization of those with intellectual disability: Evolution from non-consensual interventions to strict safeguards

Non-consensual sterilization is one of the characteristic historical abuses that took place mainly in the first half of the 20th century. People with intellectual disability (ID) were a prime target as part of the ideology of negative eugenics. In certain jurisdictions, laws were in force for severa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Intellectual Disabilities 2019-06, Vol.23 (2), p.233-249
Main Authors: Rowlands, Sam, Amy, Jean-Jacques
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century
Adult
Antisocial Behavior
Civil Rights
Consent
Contraception
Court Litigation
Courts
Decision making
Disability Discrimination
Eugenics
Eugenics - legislation & jurisprudence
Federal Legislation
Female
Foreign Countries
Genetics
Human rights
Human Rights - legislation & jurisprudence
Humans
Informed Consent
Informed Consent - legislation & jurisprudence
Institutionalized Persons
Intellectual disabilities
Intellectual Disability
Learning disabilities
Learning disabled people
Long term
Mentally Disabled Persons - legislation & jurisprudence
Safeguards
Side effects
Social factors
Social Justice
Sterilization
Sterilization, Reproductive - legislation & jurisprudence
Treaties
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Non-consensual sterilization is one of the characteristic historical abuses that took place mainly in the first half of the 20th century. People with intellectual disability (ID) were a prime target as part of the ideology of negative eugenics. In certain jurisdictions, laws were in force for several decades that permitted sterilization without the need for consent or with consent from third parties. The long-term adverse effects on those sterilized against their will have only more recently been recognized. In the latter half of the 20th century, human rights treaties were introduced and developed; they have, in the main, curbed sterilization abuses. Courts have developed more stringent criteria for making decisions on applications for sterilization, and nowadays there are mostly adequate safeguards in place to protect those with ID from non-consensual sterilization. The only exception should be the particular case in which, all medical and social factors having been taken into account, sterilization is overwhelmingly thought to be the right decision for the individual unable to give consent.
ISSN:1744-6295
1744-6309
DOI:10.1177/1744629517747162