The Role of Science and Technology in Advancing Women's Reproductive Rights: A Historical and Political Perspective
- Shreya Srivathsa
- Mar 12
- 4 min read
The fight for reproductive autonomy rages on, with every win met by new battles against political and ideological control
For centuries, women’s bodies have been sites of political control, religious doctrine, and scientific neglect. From forced sterilizations, restrictive abortion laws, and lack of knowledge regarding the female anatomy to the well-known label of 'Hysteria' for any and all of women’s conditions, the fight for reproductive autonomy has been a long and arduous battle, shaped by both oppression and resistance. Feminist activists and women’s organizations have been involved in healthcare reform debates for over a century. In 1893, nurse activists Lillian Wald and Mary Brewster founded the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service in New York City, which provided free or low-cost nursing care to the poor and immigrant population of the surrounding neighborhoods. Wald was also a leader of the women’s suffragette movement of the early 20th century, which, while primarily focused on political enfranchisement, laid the foundation for later feminist waves that demanded bodily autonomy as a fundamental right.
Women leaders played an important role in the earliest debates, advocating for medical coverage for working people. Olga Halsey, a researcher for the American Association for Labor Legislation who had extensively studied the new insurance system in Great Britain, drafted the first health insurance bills in the U.S. Pauline Newman, a Lithuanian immigrant factory worker who became an organizer for the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, was a leading voice in arguing that health insurance legislation must include maternity coverage for working women. Newman also campaigned for wage replacement. Yet, despite over a century of advocacy, the United States—one of the world's leading nations—still fails to guarantee paid maternity leave, a stark reminder that the fight for women's bodily autonomy is far from over.
The “second wave” feminist movement of the 1960s and ‘70s transformed the medical system by insisting on women’s knowledge and control of their bodies. It brought significant legal victories, including Roe v. Wade and the FDA approval of the oral contraceptive Enovid (in 1960). Roe v. Wade, a supreme court decision that legalized abortion and recognized it as a constitutional right, marked a historic shift in reproductive autonomy. The plaintiff, Norma McCorvey was unable to secure an abortion under Texas’s strict restrictions, which allowed abortions only if the life of the mother was in danger. She and her lawyer, Sarah Weddington, challenged the law, and the case went to the Supreme Court, where there was a seven-to-two decision that legalized abortion in the first trimester and subjected it to state regulation thereafter. It was based on the constitutional right to privacy, which the justices ruled “broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.”
These legal victories, however, were only part of the battle. Scientific and technological breakthroughs have since played a pivotal role in expanding reproductive options, making autonomy more than just a legal right but a tangible reality. The development of assisted reproductive techniques, digital health solutions, contraceptive methods like intrauterine devices, emergency contraception (morning-after pills, ex. I pill), advanced abortion techniques (medication abortion, vacuum aspiration techniques), reversible sterilization techniques (tubal ligation reversal techniques like renastomosis), in vitro fertilization, etc. are few examples that have expanded reproductive choices and improved health accessibility.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (est. 1942), evolved out of Margaret Sanger’s American Birth Control League (est. 1938). It has since become a major provider of reproductive healthcare, offering birth control, STI testing and treatment, and abortion services across the country. Telemedicine services combined with mobile apps to track the menstrual cycle, contraception reminders, fertility monitoring, virtual reproductive health counseling, digital pharmacies, and the advent of AI tools to diagnose and treat conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis have empowered individuals, especially women, to take control of their reproductive health. Despite these advancements, reproductive health remains a controversial topic. Myths about contraception, abortion safety, and fertility treatments contribute to public misconceptions and policy restrictions. The intersection of science and reproductive rights remains a battleground, where progress is met with political backlash and ideological resistance, as demonstrated by the legal challenges associated with the Dobbs v. Jackson decision (2022). It was another landmark Supreme Court case where the court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, effectively overturning the previous rulings in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, allowing states to heavily restrict or ban abortion access.
The ruling asserted that the authority to regulate abortion now rests with individual states and their elected representatives, leading to a wave of restrictive legislation across the U.S. once again placing control over women’s bodies in the hands of policymakers.
Despite advancements that have expanded and continue to expand reproductive autonomy, the basic rights of marginalized groups (women, members of the LGBTQIA community, etc.) remain precarious, constantly subjected to political, ideological, and religious interference.
At what point does this cease to be a matter of legal interpretation and instead become a direct assault on women’s rights? When will society move beyond treating women as second-class citizens in decisions concerning their bodies?
History has shown that women have had to fight relentlessly for every fundamental right they hold today. Time and again, they have faced opposition, and yet they have prevailed. The war is far from over, and if the past is any indication, women will continue to fight—and they will continue to win.
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