In India, impoverished and illiterate women suffer from such low social status that they are unaware of their right to 1) experience a fulfilling sexual relationship free from fear of infection and disease; 2) choose whether or not to have children; and 3) receive family planning services, including safe abortion services. With only 37% married women of reproductive age using contraception, un...

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 enforcemen...