Reproductive Health & Rights

Reproductive health rights are human rights that every woman is entitled to - young or old, living with HIV or not, differently-abled, heterosexual or lesbian. Reproductive health and rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly about the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence. There is a serious lack of correct and accurate rights based information that limits women's decision making capacities.

This section of the website contains information on the different reproductive health issues that apply to women or that have a gender focus and it is closely related to the section on sexualities and sexual rights.

Current Issues Rights and education uplift lives It Takes More Than A Law To Stop The Cut FGM Can Be Defeated By Joint Effort Abortion Reform Bill Passed in Victorian Lower House Spain Appoints Experts to Liberalize Abortion Law more

Resources Play Your Part Termination of pregnancy Pap Smear Screening The Health Dangers of Unsafe Abortion Is Aspirin Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Risk?

Research Coping with stigma, discrimination and violence: Sex Workers talk about their experiences Antenatal Care In The Gambia: Missed Opportunity For Information, Education and Communication Defending the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women Affected by HIV in Argentina Perceptions of HIV Positive Swazi Women on Childbearing The South Africa YMCA Adolescent Reproductive Health Program: Through the Eyes of Young People more

Policy Participation and the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health Female Genital Mutilation – Policy Guidelines National Cervical Screening Policy Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act No. 92 OF 1996 Maputo Plan of Action for the Operationalisation of the Continental Policy Framework for Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights more