Defense Date

11-14-2024

Graduation Date

Fall 12-20-2024

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Health Care Ethics

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Joris Gielen

Committee Member

Gerard Magill

Committee Member

Peter Ikechukwu Osuji

Keywords

Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Disparities, Healthcare Disparities, Social Determinants

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the Reproductive Justice Framework to describe possible solutions to the ethical challenges related to reproductive healthcare disparities. Various frameworks to support reproductive equity fail to address the challenges marginalized individuals face in accessing reproductive health services. The four ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice serve as foundational tools to support reducing these disparities. This dissertation uses the Reproductive Justice Framework to analyze the unequal distribution of harms among marginalized women. It highlights how access to care, such as Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), is disproportionately inaccessible to marginalized women. Then, it discusses the relationship between marginalized women and systems that perpetuate these disparities through policies and practices. This dissertation highlights the moral duty to reduce these disparities through the Reproductive Justice Framework and enhancing current practices. These disparities can be reduced through the Reproductive Justice Framework to increase access to care and optimal health outcomes.

Language

English

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