Sexuality,Parenthood, and Cognitive Disability in Brazil

This article will review the different methods used to control the sexuality and fertility of Brazilian women with cognitive disabilities throughout the twentieth century, and how practices such as eugenic sterilization, institutionalization, and other repressive measures of social control grew out of cultural notions of gender, race, class, sexuality, and disability. The article will first outline eugenics practices and the vulnerability of women with cognitive disabilities in the United States and Europe. It will then trace the historical treatment of Brazilian women with cognitive disabilities. Finally, it will describe modern cultural perceptions and practices related to the sexuality and fertility of Brazilian women with cognitive disabilities.