Involuntary sterilization

Compulsory sterilization, also known as forced or coerced sterilization, refers to any government-mandated program to involuntarily sterilize a specific group of people. Sterilization removes a person's capacity to reproduce and is usually done by surgical or chemical means. Purported justifications for compulsory sterilization have included population control, eugenics, limiting the spread of HIV, and ethnic genocide. Forced sterilization can also occur as a form of racial discrimination. While not always mandated by law (de jure), there are cases where forced sterilization has occurred in practice (de facto). This distinction highlights the difference between official policies and actual implementation, where coerced sterilization takes place even without explicit legal authorization. Several countries implemented sterilization programs in the early 20th century. Although such programs have been made illegal in much of the world, instances of forced or coerced sterilizations persist.