The effect of bodily autonomy and integrity on sexual and reproductive health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13840341Keywords:
Bodily Autonomy, Bodily Integrity, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Justice, Informed ConsentAbstract
This review article aims to examine sexual and reproductive health in terms of bodily autonomy and integrity and to emphasise reproductive justice and the obstacles in front of it. Bodily autonomy and integrity are important concepts in medical ethics and law. While bodily autonomy represents the patient's right to make his/her own decisions, the right to bodily integrity ensures that one's body is free from physical interventions and protects the authority to make decisions in this regard. Based on these principles, the doctrine of informed consent and respect for the patient's autonomy form the basis of modern medical ethics. Respect for the autonomy and integrity of the person emphasises that the physician and the patient should act together to reach a decision based on mutual consent. The ‘Shared Decision Making’ model used in this process is an approach that enables patients to make informed choices taking into account their life experiences and social perceptions, where clinicians share the best evidence with patients and support patients to reach informed choices. The concept of reproductive justice includes bodily autonomy, the right to have or not have children and the right to parent their children in a safe environment. Since the 1960s, the struggle for reproductive justice has addressed systematic inequalities in health care and society, aiming to enable women and girls to make free decisions in all areas of life. However, gender discrimination fuelled by patriarchal power systems and other forms of discrimination such as race, sexual orientation, age, disability, etc. constitute obstacles to these rights and cause women and girls not to have control over their bodies and thus not to maintain their autonomy. In this context, securing the rights to bodily autonomy and integrity is a fundamental step in the struggle for gender equality and women's rights.
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