Reproductive Rights in Affluent Nations

Abstract

The term ‘reproductive rights’ refers to the freedom of individuals to control decisions regarding contraception, abortion, sterilization, and childbirth. It is a relatively recent concept in Western, affluent societies, and is closely related to the rise of social movements advocating access to birth control, legal abortion, and women's control over pregnancy and childbirth. These movements are in turn associated with large-scale social trends such as the desire to reduce population growth in industrialized countries and the movement of women into the labor force. Major areas of research on reproductive rights include research on social movements advocating reproductive rights, analyses of public discourse on reproductive rights, and studies of public opinion. In each of these areas, much of the research focuses on the issue of abortion, but also includes issues of access to contraceptives, sterilization abuse, and new standards of women's health care.