Overview:
• A study in Cincinnati reveals the intertwining of reproductive experiences of Black women with economic, political, and ideological oppressions.
• Researchers stress the need for underlying human rights to support reproductive choice, emphasizing the impact of beauty, body image, stigmas, and racism on Black women's reproductive lives.
• The Ohio Policy Evaluation Network conducts rigorous research on reproductive health care and equity.
By Sarah Crow
Senior Research
Communications Associate
Ohio Policy Evaluation Network
A study in Cincinnati by researchers Carolette Norwood and Thembi Carr, co-led by a community advisory board, shines a spotlight on why reproductive justice must be about more than abortion care. The reproductive experiences of Black women in Cincinnati, researchers explain, is inseparable from economic, political and ideological oppressions.
As the country heads into another election year, advocates from all sides fight to center reproductive choice in public discourse. Researchers with Ohio Policy Evaluation Network (OPEN) caution that reproductive choice without underlying human rights does not benefit those that the medical, economic and surveillance systems already disadvantage. In newly published research, Carolette Norwood and Thembi Carr explain their findings from interviews with Black women in Cincinnati.
“No two stories are the same. However, themes emerge from our research that suggest Black women in Cincinnati are facing a complex web of oppression that ends up affecting their reproductive lives,” said Carolette Norwood, the lead researcher on the project. “Ideas of beauty and body image, the strong Black woman trope, stigmas around motherhood and racism are just some of the issues we identified.”
Regardless of the political landscape, Black cis [gender identity matches their birth sex] women will face structural and interpersonal barriers to reproductive care. Research that helps people understand and remove these barriers is a necessary step to achieving reproductive justice.
Ohio Policy Evaluation Network (OPEN) leads rigorous and innovative research on reproductive health care in Ohio and the region. The research collaborative based at The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati and Case Western Reserve University launched in 2018 to study how policy affects reproductive health and equity at the state and regional levels. OPEN’s work builds a more nuanced understanding of how policy and health interact at the population level, while also offering a glimpse into the lived experiences of those most directly affected by structural barriers.
To view the full report, visit Ohio Policy Evaluation Network.