Rose L. Molina, Sabrineh Ardalan & Jennifer Scott, Impact of a US Asylum Decision on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: a call to action for health and legal professionals, 27 Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters 1 (2019).
Abstract: The political environment and legal decisions in the United States (US) can impact lives around the globe. A recent attack on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) occurred in June 2018 when former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed a decision (Matter of A-R-C-G-) in which domestic violence was recognized as a basis for asylum. Domestic violence is one form of gender-based violence, encompassing sexual and physical assault and reproductive coercion, which disproportionately harm women. Given the global epidemic of gender-based violence, we argue that Sessions’ reversal of this decision and efforts to rollback protection for domestic violence survivors could have far-reaching impacts on women around the world. This article will provide some recommendations for medical and legal professionals in response to this affront on SRHR.