Abstract
The initiation of federal payments for contraceptive sterilizations in the 1970s was accompanied by reports of abuse and charges of racial and class bias. Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth, Cycles I and II (1973-1976), the authors examine rates of female sterilization for contraceptive purposes in the United States, with particular attention to the variables of race, poverty, welfare status, and parity. They conclude that a strong case for discriminatory sterilization exists, with rates determined more by class and welfare status than by race, and that these findings have serious implications for social policy. (KIE abstract)
