ELSI Friday Forum

Constrained Choice: Autonomy and Reproductive Genomics in Pregnancy Outcomes
ELSI Friday Forum | March 13th, 2026 | 12PM ET/ 9AM PT via Zoom

Speakers: Jallicia Jolly, PhD; Khiara M. Bridges, PhD, JD
Moderator: Jennifer James, PhD

Prenatal screening, carrier testing, and emerging precision medicine tools are rapidly integrating into reproductive care. Yet these technologies operate within healthcare systems that racialize genetic risk, constrain meaningful choice, and unevenly distribute access to care. In punitive reproductive policy environments, receiving genetic information during pregnancy can result in surveillance, coercion, and structurally constrained decision-making. Rather than alleviating inequities, genomics may reproduce longstanding disparities in reproductive health.

This forum examines how genomic technologies can be governed and implemented in ways that center reproductive dignity and autonomy. Drawing on decolonial feminist frameworks and empirical analysis of healthcare delivery, it identifies evidence-based system-level strategies that support informed decision-making without reinforcing structural harm. By focusing on healthcare system pathway beyond individual choice, this discussion advances a model of genomics-informed pregnancy care grounded in equity, accountability, and reproductive justice.