Santaularia Gomez and Tanveer Publish Essay on Reproductive Autonomy Restrictions as Collective Violence
Posted: 11/26/2025 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Jeanie Santaularia Gomez (Epidemiology), former CSDE Trainee Maryam Tanveer (Epidemiology) and co-authors recently penned an essay in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) arguing that policies that intentionally or unintentionally restrict reproductive autonomy constitute an act of violence. The essay explores 3 illustrative examples of how governmental power—through the passage of laws—can both support and constrain reproductive autonomy across the life course: sex education, abortion restrictions, and parental leave policies. For each, the authors explain how the consequent harms overlap with those resulting from more traditional overt forms of violence. By framing the loss of reproductive autonomy as a form of violence, the authors underscore its profound and far-reaching harms, demanding urgent recognition and response as a critical public health and human rights issue.