Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A74]

Presenter: Adilgelsa Mendes

Faculty Sponsor: Angela Bateman

School: Cape Cod Community College

Research Area: Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies

ABSTRACT

Racial disparities in contraceptive access in the United States are not simply a matter of personal choice; they are the result of structural inequalities embedded in healthcare policy and delivery. Grounded in reproductive justice and intersectional medical sociology, this paper traces how these disparities have been shaped by both historical and contemporary forces. From slavery and forced reproduction to twentieth-century coerced sterilizations, Black women’s reproductive labor has long been regulated, exploited, and devalued, while persistent social narratives have stigmatized Black motherhood as irresponsible, hyper-fertile, or economically dependent on the state. These historical and racialized assumptions continue to influence public discourse, policy debates, and clinical interactions surrounding contraception. Present-day inequities are reinforced by systemic barriers such as Medicaid coverage gaps, cost obstacles, limited provider availability in marginalized communities, and differential counseling practices related to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). This paper demonstrates that structural factors, rather than personal choice, determine contraceptive access. Addressing these disparities requires confronting financial, geographic, and provider-related inequities as well as the ongoing stigmatization of Black reproduction in healthcare delivery.