The forced contraception was carried out through several specific methods and circumstances:
IUD insertions were performed in multiple settings:
During routine gynecological examinations, where women were unaware an IUD would be inserted
At schools, where girls were led directly from their classrooms by teachers into a doctor's room for the procedure, without parental knowledge
After childbirth or abortion, including while women were still under anaesthesia from the abortion procedure
During annual medical checkups at boarding schools
Hormonal injections (specifically Depo Provera) were also administered without consent. Some women reported these left them infertile for years, and they were not informed about the long-term effects on their menstrual cycles.
The colonial power dynamic was central: Denmark controlled Greenland's entire healthcare system until 1992, and the campaign was directed by Danish government officials. Doctors from the state-run Danish Mother's Aid institution led the initial 1965 rollout. Victims describe being compelled to comply — when they complained of severe pain, doctors refused to help, and some women had to remove the IUDs themselves. Many discovered they had a device in them only years later, when they struggled to become pregnant.
The 2025 independent investigation documented 488 specific cases of forced contraception between 1960 and 1991, with the total number of affected women estimated at over 4,000. AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.
