Description
State of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes.
Additional notes and information
Reproductive health therefore implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capacity to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Implicit in this last condition are the following: the rights of women and men to be informed; to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning, including methods for regulation of fertility, which are not against the law; and the right of access to appropriate healthcare services to enable women to have a safe pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best chance of having a healthy infant. Reproductive health is a component of reproductive rights.
Sources
International Conference on Population and Development – ICPD (1994). Program of Action. UN Doc. A/CONF.171/13 1994, Chap. 7. A.