Reproductive rights
Reproductive rights is a political term referring to
human rights in areas of
sexual reproduction, including the rights to reproduce (such as opposition to
forced sterilization) as well as rights not to reproduce (such as support for access to
birth control and
abortion), the right to privacy, medical coverage, right to contraception, family planning and protection from discrimination and harassment.
"Reproductive rights" is largely perceived as being synonymous with the "
pro-choice" position, which states that abortion should be a legal option for any woman with a pregnancy. Reproductive rights are understood as encompassing more than just abortion, however. Members of the reproductive rights movement also believe that reproductive rights are human rights, and as such men and women should be granted affordable access to contraception, as well as education about contraception and
sexually transmitted infections.
Supporters of reproductive rights often take the position that such principles fall within the context of the
right to privacy, or freedom from governmental interference, supporting legalized contraception and abortion. Some advocates also favor the term because they embrace a basic
human rights moral justification for their position.
In the
United States Constitution, the right to privacy has been interpreted to include reproductive rights, as seen in such
Supreme Court cases as
Griswold v. Connecticut (
1965), which legalized contraception for married people, and
Roe v. Wade (
1973), which legalized abortion on a federal level.
*
Procreative beneficence *
Procreative liberty *
Parental leave*
The League of Women Voters on Reproductive Choice*
UNFPA Population Issues: Reproductive Rights*
NARAL Pro-Choice America*
Planned Parenthood
