Maine is the 25th state to pass a sexual sterilization law; a new law passed in 1931

April 11, 1925. The legislature of Maine passes "An act permitting sterilizing operations in certain cases of mental disease and feeblemindedness". The aim of this legislation was to allow for the legal sterilization of people who were considered mentally deficient or diseased. The legislature prescribed which sterilization procedures could be performed and under what conditions.

The legislation specified that sterilization operations could occur if the following conditions were met: i) if the physicians in the care of a patient, thought it necessary in order to prevent reproduction of children who would be mentally disabled (e.g., feebleminded), or for "therapeutic" reasons; ii) if consent was given by the patient and their legal guardian, or where the patient was deemed unable to give consent, just the legal guardian; and iii) if, upon attaining the patient's and/or guardian's consent, a set of medical reviewers—one physician and one surgeon—, in conjunction with the physician in charge of the case, examined and concurred that the individual in question required a sterilization operation (Acts & Res. of the State of Maine, ch. 208, §1-2, 108). Provided those conditions were met, the legislation allowed sterilization operations to occur.

There were two operations specified for use in the legislation: the fallectomy for women and the vasectomy for men. This legislation also required that records be kept for all operations (Acts & Res. of the State of Maine, ch. 208, §1-2, 108).

Although relatively few sterilizations took place directly under this legislation, later versions would see a total of 326 sterilization. And it seems that the core elements of this legislation remained in place and active even after subsequent sterilization laws were passed (Kaelber, 2011).

For more info visit here.

-Luke Kersten

  • State of Maine. (1925). An Act permitting sterilizing operations in certain cases of mental disease and feeblemindedness. Acts and Resolves of the State of Maine.

  • Kaelber, L. (2011). Eugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States. Retrieved from http://www.uvm.edu/~lkaelber/eugenics/ME/ME.html.

Maine is the 25th state to pass a sexual sterilization law; a new law passed in 1931

April 11, 1925. The legislature of Maine passes "An act permitting sterilizing operations in certain cases of mental disease and feeblemindedness". The aim of this legislation was to allow for the legal sterilization of people who were considered mentally deficient or diseased. The legislature prescribed which sterilization procedures could be performed and under what conditions.

The legislation specified that sterilization operations could occur if the following conditions were met: i) if the physicians in the care of a patient, thought it necessary in order to prevent reproduction of children who would be mentally disabled (e.g., feebleminded), or for "therapeutic" reasons; ii) if consent was given by the patient and their legal guardian, or where the patient was deemed unable to give consent, just the legal guardian; and iii) if, upon attaining the patient's and/or guardian's consent, a set of medical reviewers—one physician and one surgeon—, in conjunction with the physician in charge of the case, examined and concurred that the individual in question required a sterilization operation (Acts & Res. of the State of Maine, ch. 208, §1-2, 108). Provided those conditions were met, the legislation allowed sterilization operations to occur.

There were two operations specified for use in the legislation: the fallectomy for women and the vasectomy for men. This legislation also required that records be kept for all operations (Acts & Res. of the State of Maine, ch. 208, §1-2, 108).

Although relatively few sterilizations took place directly under this legislation, later versions would see a total of 326 sterilization. And it seems that the core elements of this legislation remained in place and active even after subsequent sterilization laws were passed (Kaelber, 2011).

For more info visit here.

-Luke Kersten

  • State of Maine. (1925). An Act permitting sterilizing operations in certain cases of mental disease and feeblemindedness. Acts and Resolves of the State of Maine.

  • Kaelber, L. (2011). Eugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States. Retrieved from http://www.uvm.edu/~lkaelber/eugenics/ME/ME.html.