Abstract
To understand contemporary debates over women’s sexual and reproductive health in American society, we must first look to the past. Since the beginning of time, perceptions of female sexuality have shaped medical practices, public policy, legal rights, technology, and the contours of women’s everyday experiences. To answer a battery of questions—Why are most contraceptives for women? Why are abortions stigmatized decades after the Supreme Court declared them legal?—we need to understand the complex history that has defined our modern age. Unlocking the past, familiarizing ourselves with the powerful political and social forces that have affected women’s sexual and reproductive health over time, we equip ourselves with the knowledge we need to begin the long task of challenging the present and changing the future.
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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Tone, A. (2002). Historical Influences on Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health. In: Wingood, G.M., DiClemente, R.J. (eds) Handbook of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health. Issues in Women’s Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0689-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0689-8_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5196-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0689-8
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