In order to have an effective conversation about reproductive rights, it is important to understand the terminology most often used. Reproductive rights are a fairly common topic of conversation, but sometimes the topic is oversimplified or words are used incorrectly. Three terms that are often heard in those conversations are reproductive health, reproductive rights and reproductive justice. These terms deal with similar things but there are important differences between them. It’s important to understand those differences in order to have the most effective conversation.
Reproductive health encompasses the actual health care providers and services that are protected and fought for by reproductive rights and justice.
Reproductive rights focus on maintaining the actual ability of a person to access the reproductive health care they need. It is the ability to make choices you feel are best for you and your body. Reproductive rights also encompass a person’s right to have access to birth control, sexual education, sexual health services and abortion, among other things.
Reproductive justice is the ability of a person to make all decisions concerning their sexuality, sexual health and reproductive system for themselves. It is similar to reproductive rights, but it focuses on making sure services are actually accessible to people. In order to achieve reproductive justice, issues of social class, race, gender and sexuality must be addressed. Reproductive justice aims to break down these and any other barriers to the accessibility of reproductive health care services.
My experiences with reproductive justice advocates are why I always discuss topics related to reproductive health in terms of “people,” rather than “women” or “men.” Plenty of people who do not identify as female need access to reproductive health services. Individuals who do not identify as women are often overlooked in matters of reproductive justice, which can end up impeding their access to care and have a negative impact on their reproductive health. Not limiting the discussion about reproductive rights to women is imperative to making the movement truly inclusive.
Unfortunately, reproductive health care services are often not easily accessible to people. Taking abortion as an example, the actual procedure and medical professionals that provide it fall under the umbrella of reproductive health. The reproductive right to have an abortion was gained with the legalization of abortion as a result of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. However, reproductive justice activists work very hard to make abortion services accessible to everyone, because they often are not. Abortion clinics around the country have been forced to close down at alarming rates in recent years, leaving many people without a close clinic and without the means to travel to one. Here in Ohio, over half of our clinics have closed since Gov. John Kasich took office in 2011, leaving us with only nine clinics throughout the state. Over 80 percent of counties in the state don’t have a single provider. That places lower income individuals at a higher risk of not being able to access the care they need.
Some people might wonder, “why do reproductive rights even matter?” There are many answers to that question, but the simplest one is that each person should have the right to choose what happens within and to their body. There is great personal, financial and emotional responsibility that comes with being a parent, so everyone should choose when and if they take on those responsibilities.
Karinne Hill is a sophomore studying sociology-criminology and women's gender and sexuality studies at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Are reproductive rights important to you? Let Karinne know by tweeting her @karinnehill.
