Reproductive Health

Control over the female body and access to reproductive health services have long been sources of contentious debate. However, issues related to reproduction were not well explored or represented in comics until women assumed a larger role in the medium. In the early 1970s, underground comics like Wimmen’s Comix were a response to a comics culture reflective of and catering to a male audience. As creators and consumers of comics, women centered these issues in ways that reflected and contributed to contemporary social and political movements. They provided a venue for discussion about subjects like abortion, menstruation, and sexuality. Since then, comics have been a medium to express a range of experiences related to reproductive health including contraception, pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, and menopause. Importantly, comics have also been used to advocate for improved access to healthcare and to bring awareness to reproductive health disparities.