The Sterilization of Puerto Rican Women by the US government

Sterilization was legalized in Puerto Rico in 1937 under Law 116, which established Eugenics Boards. The procedures were primarily offered as the only accessible form of contraception in clinics funded by both the U.S. government and private eugenic organizations, making it a "constrained choice" for women with few alternatives.
The average age for these coerced or forced sterilizations was around 26.

Many women were told the procedure was temporary or reversible, and some were not informed that they had been sterilized until much later. Consent forms were often in English, creating a language barrier for many women. After giving birth, some women were not allowed to see their child until they signed the form. Others went into hospitals for unrelated surgeries, only to discover upon waking that their fallopian tubes had been tied or their uterus removed.

Audio: Vamoose by Honey Stretton