This refers to the rights that every person has regarding the following:
- To decide whether they want children or not, when, and spacing between pregnancies.
- To have the information and necessary means to do so.
- To control their reproductive capacity through the use of contraceptive methods.
- To enjoy the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health.
This also includes the right to make reproductive decisions without encountering discrimination, coercion, or violence, as stated in human rights documents.
Reproductive rights are stipulated in the definition of reproductive health approved in the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt. This is the foundation for the definition that the World Health Organization currently uses.
The most significant implication of accepting and implementing reproductive rights is the recognition of people’s moral agency and freedom of conscience to make decisions regarding their reproduction. Moral agency refers to a person’s autonomy when making decisions based on personal ethics. Agency refers to the capacity to act.
There is global consensus regarding the need and use of reproductive methods to control reproductive capacity. However, there is no consensus on the right of pregnant women and person to decide on abortion. This translates into especially restrictive legislations that affect the health of pregnant women and persons.
Having said that, reproductive rights are of crucial interest because they safeguard people’s moral agency, autonomy, and freedom to decide. They are at the centre of the human rights agenda for adolescents, youth, and adult women, and their ability to decide their sexuality and their reproductive capacity. Specifically, youth rights to access a comprehensive sexuality education and the necessary services to enjoy sexuality without the risk of pregnancy, as well as the right of women and pregnant persons to access legal and safe abortion.