For the World Health Organization, reproductive health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. It addresses reproduction mechanisms and the functioning of the reproductive systemin all stages of life. It is not solely about the absence of medical conditions or diseases; rather, it implies the freedom to decide regarding the desire to procreate and when, as well as the possibility of having a responsible, satisfactory, and safe sexuality. Sexual health and reproductive health are closely connected.
This understanding of reproductive health implies that every person has the possibility of safe, effective, accessible, and acceptable types of birth control. It also contemplates that people and couples have access to appropriate health services to properly monitor pregnancy, and also the opportunity to have a healthy family.
The International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1994, marked the beginning of a new approach in terms related to reproductive health. At that moment, the two basic concepts—health and reproduction—acquired sufficient legitimacy to be part of the foundation of a historic change regarding population policies and in the criteria to measure the quality of care in reproductive health services.
This new focus consists of placing women’s and user’s rights at the centre of reproductive health services. In this framework, reproductive health care establishes certain aspects as quality standards: respect, scientific and evidenced-based information, humane treatment, and interculturality. It also emphasizes expanding access to quality services to the most marginalized areas. All of this through mass information campaigns to enable people, especially women, to know their rights and to know that medical staff cannot obligate them to make any decision regarding their reproductive health. Also, through training and awareness-raising for medical staff to perform their professional activities under these guidelines.
This new focus emerged as the result of propositions by feminists organizations, which affected radical changes in the policies regarding birth control.