Which lives matter in reproductive biomedicine?

Abstract

The most recent Black Lives Matter moment provides an important opportunity for consideration of the interlocking social and political systems that contribute to ongoing racism and racial inequality. What does this mean in the context of reproductive biomedicine? Which lives do reproductive biomedicine devalue and how? In this commentary, I address why reproductive biomedicine is an important site for reflection on race, and how the Reproductive Justice Movement calls on us to shift our thinking. I argue for the need to recognize the deep connections between reproductive biomedicine and eugenics, and then offer some examples of racialization in reproductive biomedicine through assisted reproductive technology. Finally, I consider what steps practitioners might take to be part of the change for which this Black Lives Matter moment calls.

Keywords

• race
• assisted reproductive technology
• social justice
• ableism

Introduction

Last summer in the USA, people once again took to the streets to insist on the value of Black lives. While Black Lives Matter is most strongly associated with the struggle to end racist police violence, the name and the movement reach much further...