In 1982, the Peopleʼs Republic of China passed a law, known as ʻthe one child ruleʼ. As a way to stem the rapid, unsustainable growth of Chinaʼs population, this law made it illegal for women to bear more than child. This law not only had a dramatic impact on the lives on Chinese women but also affected indigenous populations. Although allowed 2 children per family, treatments and propaganda were rolled out to encourage them to have only one, regardless of their religion believe and traditions.
Kern travelled to Dharamsala, India, to meet and interview Tibetan women who informed her of problems regarding the procedure and aftercare of sterilization operations, such as mini- Laparotomy or the insertion and removal of IUDs (coil). Many occasions were reported of women suffering from internal bleeding and dying after such procedures; often due to the extreme distance from their home to the nearest clinical facilities. As well as gathering experiences from women first hand, Kern interviewed a professional gynaecologist, who had removed some of the so called ʻChinese ringsʼ and questioned the risk of long term exposure to the IUD.
