A Reproductive Justice Approach to Women's Health

Abstract

This commentary provides a brief history of the term reproductive justice and describes ways that it differs from the more commonly used term reproductive rights. Reproductive justice is a broader concept, situated firmly in the movement for social justice and based on a principle of positive rights. The author then shows how the articles by Mollen (2014) and DeLucca and Lobel (2014) both reflect and contribute to our understanding of reproductive justice.The World Health Organization (WHO) defined reproductive rights as "the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly 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. It also includes their right to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion, and violence, as expressed in human rights documents"

“Nobody Ever Asks Me:” A Reproductive Justice Approach to Rural Health Disparities

“…Understanding communal, generational, and individual concerns about health care highlights rural women's experiences to address these barriers (Price, 2011). This insight provides evidence of the need for a more inclusive discussion of reproductive health care access (Adofoli, 2013;Chrisler, 2014;Ross, 2006).…”

“…Proponents of reproductive justice advocate for the complete state of well-being and full achievement and protection of women's universal human right to choose whether to become pregnant, stay pregnant, and to raise child(ren) in a safe environment (Adofoli, 2013;Chrisler, 2014;Gerber Fried, 2013;Ross & Solinger, 2017;Solinger, 2016;Zucker, 2014). Founding organization Sistersong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective argues for a paradigm shift from rights to justice in order to expand the reproductive rights movement to women on the margins of society, such as women of color and rural women (SisterSong, 2016).…”

“…Founding organization Sistersong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective argues for a paradigm shift from rights to justice in order to expand the reproductive rights movement to women on the margins of society, such as women of color and rural women (SisterSong, ). Focusing on reproductive justice draws attention to issues surrounding oppression, economic status, lack of social support, cultural stigma, lack of quality care, and barriers to services such as those observed in rural communities (Adofoli, ; Chrisler, ; Ross, ; Sufrin, Kolbi‐Molinas, & Roth, ).…”

Backlash or Widening the Gap?: Women’s Reproductive Rights in the Twenty-First Century

“…Yet feminist scholars in Ireland, the US, and other seemingly human rights-oriented places have pointed out that the situation has always been that of a struggle (e.g., Rohlinger and Grace 2018). Many liberal democracies have struggled with securing reproductive freedom goals as well as securing reproductive justice for those who are excluded on account of race (Smith 2005) or economic status (Chrisler 2014;Roberts 2015). The nature of the current backlash is a widening of the chasms between ambitious reproductive justice goals and legal reality.…”

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices on Human Papilloma Virus amongst Females in Developing Countries

“…In developing countries sexually transmitted infections are among the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost especially for women of reproductive ages [9]. In spite of medical and public health advancements, sexually transmitted infections are found to have a very high incidence and prevalence in developing countries [10].…”