“Blessed Be the Fruit” — The Contemporary Rise of Pronatalism

This perspective explores the political resurgence of pronatalism policies and ideologies that promote childbirth as a civic duty, particularly for women across the United States and globally. The authors analyze how current political rhetoric builds on historical and ethnonationalist models, sometimes advocating coercive or discriminatory policies that undermine gender equity and reproductive freedom. Drawing comparisons to past eugenics laws and global pronatalist regimes, the article discusses how pronatalist policies, under the guise of population sustainability, can intensify health disparities, marginalize nontraditional families, and compromise maternal care access, especially in the post Roe legal landscape.

This perspective explores the political resurgence of pronatalism policies and ideologies that promote childbirth as a civic duty, particularly for women across the United States and globally. The authors analyze how current political rhetoric builds on historical and ethnonationalist models, sometimes advocating coercive or discriminatory policies that undermine gender equity and reproductive freedom. Drawing comparisons to past eugenics laws and global pronatalist regimes, the article discusses how pronatalist policies, under the guise of population sustainability, can intensify health disparities, marginalize nontraditional families, and compromise maternal care access, especially in the post Roe legal landscape.