Chapter 27 discusses reproductive health policy in the United States and the ways in which it can be improved. According to Roye and McLemore (2020), reproductive health is the foundation of public health, and justice in regards to it holds that people have a human right to make decisions regarding pregnancy and childbirth. My main critique of the chapter is that it primarily focuses on how much we have yet to achieve and does not discuss how far we have come in terms of reproductive health policies.
One of the main messages of this chapter is that abortion is the key issue when it comes to the topic, and it is deemed controversial by many. Roye and McLemore (2020) state that this is due to complex reasons, which do not have much to do with women’s or public health. At present, the passage of laws restricting women’s access to reproductive healthcare depends on people in power in a certain state and the federal government. Another thing worth mentioning is the fact of the possibility of infant and maternal mortality being reduced by the government. As per Roye and McLemore (2020), the solution to both of these problems is the provision of all women with access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. Currently, the United States seemingly cannot afford that, and it impacts the health outcomes of mothers and children. Finally, it is essential that other problems, the ones associated with poor reproductive health outcomes, were addressed as well. These include education and training of healthcare workers, improved access to midwives and doulas, and the establishment of review committees on maternal morbidity and mortality.
Questions:
- What was America’s policy regarding abortion like prior to the middle of the 19th century?
- What [was] the tactic of abortion opponents who realized that it was very difficult to have Roe v. Wade overturned?
Reference
Roye, C. F., & McLemore, M. R. (2020). Reproductive health policy. In D. J. Mason, E. L. Dickson, G. A. Perez & M. R. McLemore (Eds.), Policy and politics in nursing and health care (8th ed., pp. 223-227). Elsevier Health Sciences.