4 November 1976 report; reviewed practices in the 1970s
Reproductive injusticeSupplement
GAO finds failures in IHS sterilization consent procedures
Four Indian Health Service areas; Indigenous patients
Federal auditors found that sterilization practices generally failed to comply with IHS regulations and that most reviewed consent forms did not meet requirements. The findings documented failures to protect meaningful consent.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
The audit was limited to four areas; it does not establish that every procedure was involuntary or a nationwide prevalence rate.