Towards a history of reproductive coercion and abuse in mid-twentieth century Australia

Reproductive coercion refers to the obstruction of a person’s reproductive autonomy by interfering in decision-making related to contraception or termination of pregnancy. The term emerged in the 2010s as part of attempts to better understand newly illuminated forms of violence and control. This article investigates the term reproductive coercion as part of a history of domestic violence in Australia in the period 1914–1969. I contend that working with this term demands a reconsideration of what reproductive autonomy could mean in the period under examination and the ways in which it might be undermined in the context of domestic abuse. It leads to a careful consideration of the intersections of histories of the availability, affordability and legality of contraceptive and abortion technologies, and changing understandings of and conditions for heterosexual intimacy and agency. I argue that the combined term reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA) better captures the range of abusive behaviours used to control pregnancy outcomes in this period

Criminology · Medical emergency · Poison control · Political science · Sexual coercion · Suicide prevention · Australian History and Society · Canadian Identity and History · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · History · Medicine · Philosophy · Psychology