Girls' bodies have long served as a platform for social debate, legislation, and questionable medical practices. In the early 1900s, physicians targeted girls with disabilities for sterilization, preventing them from reproducing. During the 1950s and early 1960s, as rates of teen pregnancy soared, American educators promoted sex education. Into the 1970s and 1980s, girls and women were sterilized. Many women later fought back with lawsuits.