eugenic sterilization laws

Eugenic sterilization laws were policies enacted in the early to mid-20th century that aimed to prevent certain groups of people, often those labeled as mentally ill, disabled, or socially undesirable, from reproducing. These laws authorized the involuntary sterilization of individuals considered genetically "unfit," with the goal of improving the population’s overall health and traits. Many of these laws were tied to pseudoscientific ideas about heredity and led to thousands of sterilizations, often without informed consent. These laws reflect historical abuses of personal rights and are now widely condemned.