Florida Forced 2 Black Women to Have C-Sections They Didn't Want

"Pregnancy is the only condition where Florida courts have ruled that a patient can be forced to undergo unwanted treatment. Even a state prisoner on a hunger strike has more rights to make medical decisions."

"Doyley, a birthing doula, had three C-sections before she went to the hospital in September 2024—one of which had resulted in a hemorrhage. She asked for a vaginal birth, but the hospital refused to comply with her requests and got a judge involved. During her hearing, a doctor testified that she and her fetus were unlikely to survive the birth."

"I have 20 white people against me, and because I am informed and I am making an informed decision, they are trying to take my rights away from me by force."

Florida has forced at least two Black women, Cherise Doyley and Brianna Bennett, to undergo unwanted cesarean sections through court orders. Both women had prior C-sections and requested vaginal births, but hospitals obtained judicial intervention to override their preferences. Doyley, a birthing doula with a history of hemorrhage from previous cesareans, was forced into surgery after fetal heart rate dropped briefly. Florida courts uniquely rule that pregnant patients can be forced into unwanted medical treatment—a right denied to even incarcerated individuals. Medical evidence does not strongly support claims that prior C-sections significantly increase uterine rupture risk. The women faced remote court hearings from hospital beds with staff holding tablets to their faces, and requests for culturally appropriate medical providers were dismissed.

Read at Jezebel