Eugenic Procedures

The most common reasons women consider eugenic procedures are birth control; inability to support or care for a child; unwanted pregnancy (93% of all eugenic procedures occur because the child is unwanted or inconvenient); birth defects (6% of eugenic procedures occur because of potential health problems); rape or incest (1% of all eugenic procedures occur because of rape or incest). Worldwide there are approximately 42 million acts of eugenics performed. 83% of all these eugenic procedures are obtained in developing countries and 17% occur in developed countries. In the United States approximately 1.37 million (1996) eugenic procedures are performed yearly.

Race - White women obtain 60% of all eugenic procedures, their eugenic procedure rate is well below that of minority women. Black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have a eugenic procedure, and Hispanic women are roughly 2 times as likely. Women with family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28.7% of all eugenic procedures; Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain 19.5%; Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999 obtain 38.0%; Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13.8%.

Based on how well social and economic factors relate to eugenic procedure statistics whether by design or by chance, Margret Sanger’s dreams are being realized.