Amy Kooiman

University of Wisconsin Green Bay

4/25/08

Lady's Liberty

The legal, ethnic, medical, and social issues of a woman's reproductive rights have influenced many laws, social lives, and even the American history. Whether the woman chooses to repel against getting pregnant, decide options in her pregnancy or intimate life, or giving birth, many justified cases and arguments on these subjects have been made across America. Because of the many views on reproductive rights, many lose focus on what rights women really have.

The first priority issue, according to the Center For Reproductive Rights ( Center of Reproductive Rights, 1999), focuses on abortion. Under the Right to Privacy Law, which protects against governmental interference, is backed up by the ground breaking Roe v. Wade case which entirely legalized abortion for any reason until the fetus is capable of living outside the mother's womb at about 24-28 weeks into a woman's pregnancy. After her third trimester, reasons to abort is to protect her from poor health, whether it be physical or mental. Popular cases that might affect the woman's health might include physically, in which she is at risk of death because of complications, or mentally if she had been raped and could not cope with giving birth to a rapist's child. If not the woman's health, the baby itself might be physically or mentally handicapped. Any health case would have to be excusable by two or more doctors (United States. Cong. Senate, 1973).

Secondly, contraception is a way in which a woman would be free from having to make a decision on abortion at all. It also allows her to decide the number and spacing of her children. It is the Government's duty do give the freedom of Family Planning. The dominating factor on contraception includes the World Health Organization which ensures that governments do not violate the right to conception and emergency contraception. Such cases might include religious and conservative organizations that work to stop or limit the right to emergency contraception by inaccurately characterizing this method as abortion; however, the World Health Organization ensures that this method is save and legitimate. Additionally, the Eisenstadt v. Baird case resulted in the freedom to obtain birth control ( United States. Cong. Senate, 1973). Such methods have dramatically decreased the the number of unwanted pregnancies as well as the number of illegal and unsafe abortion practices in America. In fact, governments are now improving access for information, services, and various methods of contraception to men and women.

The International Human Rights Framework, according to the Center For Reproductive Rights includes several other reproductive rights. The basics also include the right to marry and have a family, freedom of gender discrimination, sexual assault, torture or degrading treatment, privacy, and to support the scientific exploration on reproductive health. Every freedom and method to enhance the reproductive health moves society toward a more safe lifestyle. If the right to legal methods, especially contraception and abortion, people would be using unsafe methods, “do it yourself” techniques, or even receiving methods by non-professionals. These reproductive rights ensure the safety of every citizen. Because they have given positive results in freedom and safety, several activists work to secure these rights through legislation and political activism, according to authors from the Center of Reproductive Rights (Center of Reproductive Rights, 1999). By educating her audiences, Anika Rahman developed policies in which several different countries would have to monitor protection to promote these rights. The development includes a roundtable for different countries which would ensure rights, educate, promote, and promote good health to several citizens.

Bibliography

United States. Cong. Senate. ROE V. WADE, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). 22 Jan. 1973. 20 Apr. 2008 .

"Reproductive Rights." Reproductive Rights. 27 Apr. 2008 .

Rahman, Anika, and Barbara Klugman. "Roundtable Report From IPPF: "Reproductive Rights and Implementing Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme, Including Women's Empowerment, Male Involvement and Human Rights"" Center for the Reproductive Rights (1999). Lexis Nexis. 27 Apr. 2008.