To: Governor Gavin Newsom
Demand Gov. Brown launch an investigation into the mass sterilizations of women at California pri...
Gov. Brown: Instruct the California Medical Board to investigate the physicians involved in unapproved, mass prison sterilizations of women immediately to ensure that this never happens again.
Why is this important?
The LA Times, NYTimes, NPR and other media report that 158 women have undergone sterilization in California prisons without the required approval of the state medical committee between 2005 and 2010. The sterilizations were not medically necessary and the victims report that they were coerced into the procedure.
We demand answers -- the idea of forced sterilizations bring up the worst of eugenics and of 1939 Germany, not 2013 California. Who was responsible for these sterilizations? Why were they performed when not medically necessary? Why was one of the women's ovaries removed when she specifically told her doctor she intended to have children in the future?
Involuntarily removing a woman’s ovaries or pressuring her into a sterilization while incarcerated is absolutely unacceptable. Demand Gov. Brown immediately launch an investigation to determine who is responsible and to ensure this never happens again.
We demand answers -- the idea of forced sterilizations bring up the worst of eugenics and of 1939 Germany, not 2013 California. Who was responsible for these sterilizations? Why were they performed when not medically necessary? Why was one of the women's ovaries removed when she specifically told her doctor she intended to have children in the future?
Involuntarily removing a woman’s ovaries or pressuring her into a sterilization while incarcerated is absolutely unacceptable. Demand Gov. Brown immediately launch an investigation to determine who is responsible and to ensure this never happens again.