Dissecting women, dissecting law: the court-ordering of caesarean section operations and the failure of informed consent to protect women of color.

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ARTICLES DISSECTING WOMEN, DISSECTING LAW: TIE COURT-ORDERING OF CAESAREAN SECTION OPERATIONS AND THE FAILURE OF INFORMED CONSENT TO PROTECT WOMEN OF COLOR Leslie G. Espinoza* Caesarean section deliveries increased markedly in the last twenty years. In 1970, the percentage of all deliveries by Caesarean section was 5.5 percent. 1 By 1991, the percentage of Caesarean section operations had increased to 23.5 percent of all deliveries. 2 Caesarean operations are now the most commonly performed major surgery in the United States. Unfortunately, as many as half of all Caesarean operations performed are unnecessary. 4 On an annual basis, this onslaught of unnecessary and dangerous surgery results in 350,000 women being dissected needlessly.' This article begins with the story of one woman, of one unnecessary and dangerous Caesarean section operation performed in 1987. The tragic dimensions of this story-a pregnant woman dying of cancer-make it ap- pear unique. It is not. It is also the story

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