What are Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights?

April 15, 2024

Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights they are a series of rights that relate to your sexuality and your reproduction and therefore include your right to privacy, to health, to freedom of thought and expression, to live free of violence and to have education and information.

Sexual and reproductive rights: why and for what

This set of rights are also part of Human Rights and are closely related to health. According to WHO, sexual and reproductive rights imply that every person (without any discrimination) can achieve the highest level of health in relation to sexuality .

Exercising these rights helps you to take responsibility for your life and your actions, as long as you recognize that just as you have the right to live your sexuality in a healthy and responsible manner, you also have duties and responsibilities towards others.

What is sexuality?

When we talk about sexuality, we refer to the ability that every person has to feel pleasure (both with their body and their mind) and involve the physical, sentimental and emotional . This means that sexuality is closely linked to your personality, your way of being, thinking, feeling, understanding life, acting and relating to other people and yourself.

Sexual rights

These are some of the sexual rights:

Decide whether or not to be sexually active or active ; decide how, when and with whom to have affective and sexual relationships within the framework of mutual respect and consent.
Decide whether or not to have a partner; consent or not marriage .
To express our emotions and sexuality .
Find a pleasant sexual life , safe and satisfactory.
Enjoy our body , receive respect for their integrity and not be subjected to any type of physical, psychological or sexual violence.
Right to sexual privacy and decide what we want to do with our body, without hurting ourselves or affecting the sexual rights of other people.
Not be discriminated against because of our sex , gender, sexual orientation or any other cause.
To be able to access quality health services in which privacy and confidentiality are guaranteed. These services should include counseling on biological, psychological and social aspects of sexuality.
To search, receive and impart information in relation to sexuality.
Receive sex education .

Reproductive rights

Understand your freedom and autonomy to decide with responsibility if you want to have children or not, how many, at what time and with whom.

These are some of the main reproductive rights:

Decide whether or not we wish to have sons and daughters , when, their number and the time elapsed between them and them.
Not be discriminated against or receive unequal treatment by reason of becoming pregnant or being a mother (at school, work, within the family, etc.). Pregnant teenagers have the right to continue attending school where they studied before pregnancy.
Access health and medical care services that guarantee safe motherhood, free of risk during management, delivery and breastfeeding, and that ensure mother-child or daughter's well-being. Receive opportunity and quality care when the woman's life is in danger due to pregnancy.
Receive information and education to guarantee reproductive autonomy and family planning, guaranteeing confidentiality and privacy, especially to adolescents.
Access safe contraception , acceptable and effective.
Enjoy the highest possible level of reproductive health , free of diseases and disabilities due to causes such as: poor attention, malnutrition, exposure to chemical elements or forms of violence.
Access fertilization methods or procedures in case you need help to achieve the desired pregnancy.
Be protected from forced pregnancies , sterilization or abortion by imposition, obligation, pressure or coercion; or against any degrading treatment and violence in relation to reproduction.

In conclusion

Sexual rights and reproductive rights are part of human rights, this means that every person, regardless of their age, sex, origin, social status, has the right to reach a state of complete physical, mental and social, and keep it throughout his life.