Rights to Sexual and Reproductive Health:
Sexual and reproductive health refers to a person’s right to a healthy body and the autonomy, education, and healthcare to freely make decisions about their sexual experiences and health. Sexual health is an integral part of overall health and well-being, ensuring everyone can have pleasurable and safe sexual experiences. Sexual and reproductive rights are based on the principles of respect for autonomy and bodily integrity, and the recognition that individuals have the right to make their own decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health without interference from others. These rights can look like access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services like contraception and safe abortion, and freedom from discrimination, coercion, and violence in relation to their sexuality and reproductive health. Sexual and reproductive rights are protected under international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Key Issues:
The sexual and reproductive rights and health of women worldwide remain a significant concern. Despite progress in recent decades, women continue to face a range of challenges in exercising their rights and accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Some of these challenges include limited access to modern contraceptives and safe abortions.
Access to Modern Contraceptives:
One of the key issues is the lack of access to modern contraception. Contraceptive information and services are critical to promoting the health and human rights of all individuals. Access to contraceptives enables family planning, whereby individuals can have control over the timing and spacing of pregnancies and their desired number of children. Unfortunately, not everyone has adequate access to and education on contraceptives and their benefits.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 214 million women in developing regions have an unmet need for contraception. This can lead to unintended pregnancies, which have a range of negative consequences for women's health, wellbeing, and economic prospects. They can lead to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, which can be life-threatening for both the mother and the baby. They can also lead to social and economic disadvantages, such as reduced educational and employment opportunities, and increased poverty.
The prevention of unintended pregnancies promotes maternal health and reduces the risk of pregnancy-related deaths. More specifically, contraceptives are extremely beneficial for delaying pregnancy in young girls who are at risk of increased health problems from early childbearing, and preventing pregnancies among older women who also face increased risk of health issues from pregnancy. Additionally, the use of contraceptives reduce the need for unsafe abortions, and reduce transmission of HIV and other STDs/STIs.
Access to Safe Abortions:
Access to safe abortion is another key concern. WHO estimates that from 2010-2014, 45% of induced abortions were done in unsafe conditions. Of all unsafe abortions, one third were performed by untrained individuals using dangerous and invasive methods. Developing countries bear the burden of 97% of all unsafe abortions. For example, in Latin America and Africa, over 75% of abortions were done using unsafe methods.
Lack of access to safe, affordable, timely, and respectful abortion care poses risks to women’s physical and mental well-being. Inaccessibility to safe abortion care threatens a range of human rights for women and girls, including the right to live, the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the right to benefit from scientific progress, and the right to freely decide the number, spacing, and timing of children, to name a few.
Each year, between 5-13% of maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortions. In 2012, roughly 7 million women in developing countries were treated in hospital facilities for complications of unsafe abortions.
Physical health risks associated with unsafe abortion include:
incomplete abortion (failure to remove or expel all pregnancy tissue from the uterus);
hemorrhage (heavy bleeding);
infection;
uterine perforation (caused when the uterus is pierced by a sharp object); and
damage to the genital tract and internal organs as a consequence of inserting dangerous objects into the vagina.
Restricting access to safe abortions does not reduce the number of abortions performed. Countries with highly restrictive abortion laws have the highest proportion of unsafe abortions compared to countries with less restrictive laws. Thus, restricting access to abortions does affect whether the abortions that women and girls attain are safe and dignified.
Multiple actions are needed at the legal, health system, and community levels to ensure that everyone who needs an abortion has access to it. In order to create an environment for quality and comprehensive abortion care, there is a need for health systems and governmental institutions to:
Respect women’s sexual and reproductive rights, as well as human rights
Devise a supportive framework of law and policy regarding abortion care
Enable availability and accessibility of reproductive health and abortion care information
Create a supportive, universally accessible, affordable, and well-functioning health system
More Information:
For more information on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women worldwide, visit: