Transgender Pregnant Individuals in Women’s Prisons

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 Many transgender men and non-binary people assigned female at birth are placed in women’s facilities due to policies prioritizing birth sex or genitalia over gender identity. This results in frequent misgendering, harassment, and violence from both staff and inmates. Prenatal care is often inadequate, lacking essentials like ultrasounds or safe birthing conditions, and gender-affirming care (hormone therapy) is routinely denied, worsening mental health during pregnancy. Discrimination compounds these issues, with many facing bullying, sexual violence, or isolation sometimes through solitary confinement, which limits medical access and intensifies psychological distress. Advocates argue these conditions violate basic human rights, including dignity, health, and safety. Calls for reform focus on placing incarcerated individuals in facilities aligned with their gender identity, training staff on transgender needs, and improving healthcare access. Legal challenges, such as Diamond v. Ward in Oklahoma, aim to force policy changes. 

- Jones, A. (2023). Barriers to Care: Transgender Pregnant Individuals in Women’s Prisons. Journal of Correctional Health Equity.

- Diamond v. Ward, et al. (n.d.). Center for Constitutional Rights. https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/diamond-v-ward-et-al

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