ABSTRACT
This chapter examines networked arguments for and against the term birth rape, for the purpose of understanding the significance of the term as one strategy within the larger context of childbirth advocacy. It shows that consideration of why birth rape most prominently spurred debate over the term itself, rather than childbirth injustices, may prove useful to both advocates and argumentation scholars interested in other topics undergoing similar types of public debates. Advocates seeking to define the experience of birth rape connect their personal traumatic birthing experiences to established understandings of rape in relation to interwoven actions, power dynamics, and contexts. Advocates go beyond defining the specific actions and power dynamics of birth rape to compare contexts and motivations. Opponents also argue that the term diminishes the experiences of actual sexual assault survivors, which suggests that the designation of rape survivor is a constituting factor of identity.
