1. Disproportionate Sterilization of Latinos Under California's Eugenic Sterilization Program, 1920-1945.
- Author
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Novak NL, Lira N, O'Connor KE, Harlow SD, Kardia SLR, and Stern AM
- Subjects
- California, Female, History, 20th Century, Humans, Male, Eugenics history, Eugenics legislation & jurisprudence, Eugenics statistics & numerical data, Hispanic or Latino history, Hispanic or Latino statistics & numerical data, Sterilization, Involuntary history, Sterilization, Involuntary legislation & jurisprudence, Sterilization, Involuntary statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objectives: To compare population-based sterilization rates between Latinas/os and non-Latinas/os sterilized under California's eugenics law., Methods: We used data from 17 362 forms recommending institutionalized patients for sterilization between 1920 and 1945. We abstracted patient gender, age, and institution of residence into a data set. We extracted data on institution populations from US Census microdata from 1920, 1930, and 1940 and interpolated between census years. We used Spanish surnames to identify Latinas/os in the absence of data on race/ethnicity. We used Poisson regression with a random effect for each patient's institution of residence to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and compare sterilization rates between Latinas/os and non-Latinas/os, stratifying on gender and adjusting for differences in age and year of sterilization., Results: Latino men were more likely to be sterilized than were non-Latino men (IRR = 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15, 1.31), and Latina women experienced an even more disproportionate risk of sterilization relative to non-Latinas (IRR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.48, 1.70)., Conclusions: Eugenic sterilization laws were disproportionately applied to Latina/o patients, particularly Latina women and girls. Understanding historical injustices in public health can inform contemporary public health practice.
- Published
- 2018
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