Southern Fried Family Planning: Reproductive Politics in the South

Abstract

We examine regulations in thirteen Southern states regarding access to legal abortion, procedures for juveniles and minors seeking birth control or abortions, clinic regulations, and the dynamics of public funding of birth control and abortion. Southern state legislatures play an important strategic role in national anti-legal abortion politics. We analyze the paradox of the Southern population utilizing legal abortion and birth control at comparable levels to other regions of the country, while Southern legislatures consistently restrict access to these options. Our paper integrates gender, social class, race, and sexuality into our analysis of this aspect of Southern and national politics.