Who should I date? Do I want to get married? Do I want to have kids?
Or not? Am I going to use a condom? Or pill?
It is your right to decide the answer for these questions and for all the others related to your sexuality and your reproduction. However, political, religious, social and cultural aspects may influence on your decision. When it happens, it is necessary to ensure your freedom to decide in a safe way, without prejudice.
That is why sexual and reproductive rights exist. But, what are they? They are rules that ensure the free exercise of sexuality and reproduction.
It is necessary to remember that sexuality and reproduction are not the same and, therefore, sexual rights and reproductive rights are different as well. When we talk about sexual rights, it is important to know that everybody and all institutions must respect the free exercise of sexuality. Everyone has the right to decide what to do with their own body and with whom they want to have a relationship with, and these decisions must be respected.
When a person is discriminated because of their choices and sexual desires, this is a violation of your sexual rights. When someone controls your sexual practices because of moral or religious principles, this is a violation of your sexual rights. Everything contrary to people's autonomy is an act of violence, and it is the State’s duty to guarantee the protection and the respect of the sexual rights.
That is the reason why public policies are so important: because through them the State can expand or limit the exercise of these rights. And what about the reproductive rights? They are related to the reproductive autonomy and to the access to information and to conceptive and contraceptive methods.
For example: the decision about having kids or not is a reproductive right. The disrespect of these rights have a huge impact on peoples’ lives, even more on bodies of women and girls. If you’re a woman, you have the right to choose to use contraceptive methods or not, and you can obtain them for free You also have the right to emergency contraception, known as “morning-after pill”, and (in Brazil) to a legal abortion if the pregnancy is a consequence of a rape, for example – even if caused by your husband or boyfriend.
It is important to remember that teenagers and young people must have their sexual and reproductive rights respected as well. Sexual rights and reproductive rights are human rights, which means that they are assured to everyone, without any distinction.
