Reproductive Health Justice
Reproductive health justice is a framework that recognizes the holistic realities of women. It is different from reproductive rights and feminist movements which focus on individual rights.
This movement puts people who are pushed to society’s margins at the center. Its main focus is to address ongoing unjust power dynamics in our lives that prevent us from being able to achieve reproductive justice.
Access to health care
Reproductive justice is a framework for organizing based on the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which states that people have certain basic freedoms. This includes the right to control when and if they have children. However, access to birth control, abortion and other reproductive health care isn’t the same for everyone. For example, people in marginalized groups are more likely to have barriers to accessing care.
This is why activists are pushing for a more comprehensive approach to reproductive justice. In addition to legal protections, they are advocating for community-based solutions that can address the root causes of oppression and inequity. This can include addressing poverty and the lack of access to food, housing and education, as well as the impact of climate change on women’s reproductive health. It can also include addressing the ways that women’s bodies are viewed, valued and perceived. This framework can generate new momentum and partnerships to create fresh language, identify new allies and strengthen the capacity of the movement.
Abortion
Women need to have access to all reproductive health care options, including abortion. Attacks on abortion continue, but NOW is standing up for a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body and sexuality, free from government interference or coercion.
Reproductive justice is a framework that can be applied to all of the issues that affect women’s lives and their ability to have full control over their bodies, bodies of choice and families. This includes health and rights issues like HIV, poverty, racism and sexism, all of which can lead to diminished life outcomes.
In the past, well-established reproductive health organizations framed their work around a pro-choice agenda without considering how social and economic inequalities impact access to these services. Today, a polarized approach to abortion that does not include a wider lens on reproductive justice can lead to individuals taking a position for (choice) or against (prolife) the issue with limited knowledge and understanding.
Birth control
When a person has access to birth control, it allows them to delay pregnancy until they are ready for one or even to choose not to get pregnant at all. Having this ability is critical to a woman’s health and their well-being. It can also increase their opportunities for education and employment.
However, many people struggle to gain access to this health care method. Reproductive justice aims to address the root causes of barriers that limit contraceptive access. It incorporates human rights principles, such as respect for persons and beneficence, which affirm the right of individuals to make decisions about their bodies.
It also focuses on the needs of communities and the role of power imbalances in limiting access. Despite this, the current political climate is challenging efforts to improve contraceptive access. Lawmakers are considering bills that could weaken laws ensuring contraceptive equity and allow employers—both secular and religious—to exclude birth control from workers’ insurance coverage.
Sexuality education
Regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, people deserve to feel safe in all aspects of their lives. They also deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The power to decide if, when, and how they want to get pregnant and have children should be in their hands.
Comprehensive sex education teaches young people about a variety of topics, including sexual health, the benefits of abstinence, and healthy relationships. It also teaches about long-acting reversible methods of contraception to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs.
Sexuality education can be a part of reproductive justice because it recognizes the impact of oppression on people’s physical and mental health, as well as their ability to control their own bodies. Advocates must continue to dismantle systems of power that advance reproductive oppression, such as white supremacy and patriarchy.
Sex education is also a crucial component of sexual health justice for adolescents with disabilities. Adolescents with cognitive and physical disabilities are often excluded from sex education, but their concerns about sexual development, anatomy, and STI/HIV prevention should be on par with those of their peers.
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