Dolores Madrigal was pivotal in highlighting the coercive sterilization of Latina women in California that led to significant reforms in patient consent practices.
Madrigal and others filed a federal class action lawsuit, arguing that the hospital aimed to reduce the birthrate among Mexican American women, which administrators denied.
A 1978 ruling against the plaintiffs stated the case stemmed from a communications breakdown, rather than acknowledging the coercive nature of the sterilization.
Madrigal’s experience catalyzed reforms that included mandatory waiting periods for sterilization during labor and the need for consent forms in patients' native languages.
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