The United Nations estimates that 1,600 women die every day from pregnancy and childbirth complications, and 70,000 die each year as a result of unsafe or non-medical abortions.The UN also states that one-third to one half of women in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East are pregnant before age 20. With such sobering statistics, it is easy to see why reproductive health rights set firmly in place are an important way to protect women.
Contraception
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the Constitution's rights of privacy extend to the right to access to contraception. This means that married or unmarried, contraception will not be denied to anyone. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, half of the pregnancies occurring in the United States are unintended, and the CRR strives to ensure that contraception is available to everyone.
Abortion
Abortion has been a hotly debated topic across political, religious and medical lines in the United States, and it has yet to see resolution. Abortion laws vary from state to state. Most require counseling along with the abortion and require some parental involvement when a minor is requesting the abortion. Most states require that the abortion is paid for out-of-pocket, but some will accept Medicaid. See the Resources section for a breakdown of each state and its specific abortion rights.
Prenatal Care
Women should have access to prenatal care when pregnant. The Center for Reproductive Rights notes that a woman's ability to pay for prenatal care should not be a deciding factor in her care. Instead, many states have prenatal care statutes and funds in place so that even those without insurance can see an obstetrician to hopefully ensure a healthy pregnancy.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
According to the World Health Organization, HIV/AIDS is a global epidemic, affecting millions in Third World countries. In developed countries like the United States, proper education about STDs is a basic tenet, and information about how to avoid STDs is key. AIDS sufferers around the world suffer from a lack of basic human rights, including medical care, education, and some even suffer sterilization against their wishes, according to the CRR.
Censorship
As a whole, the mission of most reproductive rights groups is to lift censorship that is placed over contraception, abortion, STDs and medical care. While censorship or an abstinence-only policy may be preferred by some social groups, an article published in a 2008 Journal of Policy Analysis and Management found that it does not affect the amount of sex individuals had. Instead, it impacted their knowledge base on sex, contraception and STDs.
