1993/01/01 by Lynn P. Freedman, Stephen L. Isaacs · 5 citations
Medicine · Social Sciences · #Reproductive Health and Technologies #Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences #International Human Rights and Reproductive Law
paper · doi:10.2307/2939211
openalex publication_date 1993/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
A central challenge in developing reproductive health strategies is giving real meaning to the right of couples and individuals to determine, freely and responsibly, the number and spacing of their children. This article places the right of reproductive choice in legal and historical contexts, highlights salient issues that arise in trying to formulate international standards for its enforcement, and examines two particularly thorny issues: the tension between demographic priorities and reproductive choice and the tension between international standards and local custom/religion. The article calls on health professionals to participate actively in the elaboration of reproductive rights, both through their immediate work in the health-care field and through involvement in the international policymaking process that will take place in three upcoming international conferences.