Fighting Sex-Selective and Race-Selective Abortion Bans
Sex- and Race-Selective Abortion Bans - Why are they Harmful to AAPI Women?
What are sex-selective and race-selective abortion bans?Sex- and race-selective abortion bans make it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion when they suspect their patient is seeking an abortion due to a preference for the sex and/or race of the fetus. They also require nurses or doctors to report a patient to law enforcement, even in cases where they are only suspicious about the motives. If a doctor or nurse violates the law, they can face jail time, fines, and even lawsuits from a patient’s family.
Why are sex-selective abortion bans harmful to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community?
While the bill is cloaked in the language of civil rights for women, this bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Rather than lifting the status of women, this bill is nothing more than another hypocritical attempt to ban abortions in this country – this time using AAPI women as the excuse.
Sex- and race-selective abortion bans are fueled by racist stereotypes. Supporters of sex-selective abortion bans claim they are necessary because of Asians who migrate to the U.S. and bring “backward” values with them. This stereotype about the values of the AAPI community is not only ugly—it’s dangerous. These bans could lead to AAPI patients being singled out for special questioning and even being denied care.
At the Federal Level:
Over the years, we’ve unfortunately seen sex- and race-selective abortion bans federally, often deceivingly referred to as the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA). H.R. 147 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2017, also known as “PRENDA,” would prohibit abortions sought based on the race or sex of the fetus or the race of the parent. The bill requires reporting of any suspected sex- and/or race-based motivations for seeking an abortion.
Why are sex-selective abortion bans harmful to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community?
While the bill is cloaked in the language of civil rights for women, this bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Rather than lifting the status of women, this bill is nothing more than another hypocritical attempt to ban abortions in this country – this time using AAPI women as the excuse.
Sex- and race-selective abortion bans are fueled by racist stereotypes. Supporters of sex-selective abortion bans claim they are necessary because of Asians who migrate to the U.S. and bring “backward” values with them. This stereotype about the values of the AAPI community is not only ugly—it’s dangerous. These bans could lead to AAPI patients being singled out for special questioning and even being denied care.
At the Federal Level:
Over the years, we’ve unfortunately seen sex- and race-selective abortion bans federally, often deceivingly referred to as the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA). H.R. 147 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2017, also known as “PRENDA,” would prohibit abortions sought based on the race or sex of the fetus or the race of the parent. The bill requires reporting of any suspected sex- and/or race-based motivations for seeking an abortion.
- H.R. 147 targets Asian American women based on false stereotyping regarding sex-preference and makes any Asian American person seeking an abortion a suspect. It aims to undermine Asian American women’s access to safe, unbiased reproductive care.
- H.R. 147 would also prohibit suspected “race-based” abortions, rendering any woman of color seeking an abortion a suspect and subject to denied care and even criminalization.
- The bill further perpetuates false myths about Asian American women and communities of color and further shames and stigmatizes our communities from seeking abortion and reproductive health services.
At the State Level:
We’ve also seen sex-selective abortion bans introduced at alarming rates at the state level. In 2017 alone, sex- and race-selective abortion bans were introduced in Oregon, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Massachusetts.
>> Read our most recent fact sheet on same-sex selection ban.
>> Learn about our 2017 work tackling these bills when they crop up in state legislatures!
>> Check out our past work fighting sex-selective abortion bans on a state level.
We’ve also seen sex-selective abortion bans introduced at alarming rates at the state level. In 2017 alone, sex- and race-selective abortion bans were introduced in Oregon, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Massachusetts.
>> Read our most recent fact sheet on same-sex selection ban.
>> Learn about our 2017 work tackling these bills when they crop up in state legislatures!
>> Check out our past work fighting sex-selective abortion bans on a state level.
>> Learn More
Read NAPAWF’s Research Report on Sex-Selective Abortion Bans:
Replacing Myths with Facts: Sex Selective Abortion Laws in the United States (2014)
In 2013, sex-selective abortion bans were the second most-proposed abortion ban in the states. Twenty-one states and the U.S. Congress have considered these bans since 2009 and eight states have banned sex-selective abortion. To support their efforts to undermine reproductive rights, anti-choice activists and politicians have commonly used six myths— one of them being that Asian American women are giving birth to more boys than girls because they are engaging in sex-selective practices. Our report busts these myths and replaces them with facts about this growing affront on women’s health, and on the Asian American community.
The report draws on legal research, empirical analysis of U.S. census and birth statistics, field work in India, and an extensive review of scholarly publications in social sciences, law and other disciplines. It is the product of partnership between NAPAWF, the International Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago School of Law, and the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program at the University of California, San Francisco.
Advocacy Toolkit:
Defeating Sex Selective Abortion Bans: Advocacy Toolkit (2015)
AAPI women are taking back the narrative about who they are. Far-right politicians have been launching attacks on the reproductive decision-making of AAPI women. We ask our friends and allies across the country to push back on these sex-selective abortion bans. They do not only impact our community, they harm all women by opening the door to more and more abortion restrictions based on a woman’s motives, or projected motives.
Defeating Sex Selective Abortion Bans: Advocacy Toolkit (2015)
AAPI women are taking back the narrative about who they are. Far-right politicians have been launching attacks on the reproductive decision-making of AAPI women. We ask our friends and allies across the country to push back on these sex-selective abortion bans. They do not only impact our community, they harm all women by opening the door to more and more abortion restrictions based on a woman’s motives, or projected motives.
