IPPF recognizes and believes that all persons have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion;1 that the right to freedom of opinion and expression includes the right to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas via any media and regardless of frontiers and, therefore, commits itself to the following:

5.1 All persons have the right to freedom of thought and speech related to their sexual and reproductive lives.

5.2 All persons have the right to protection against restrictions on grounds of thought, conscience and religion to their access to education and information related to their sexual and reproductive health.

5.3 Health care professionals have the right to conscientious objection with regard to providing contraception and abortion services only if they can refer the client to health professionals willing to provide the service immediately. No such right exists in emergency cases where lives are at risk.

AND further commits itself to taking all steps to ensure the attainment of the following right:

5.4 All persons have the right to be free from the restrictive interpretation of religious texts, beliefs, philosophies and customs as tools to curtail freedom of thought on sexual and reproductive health care and other issues.

Notes
1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, Art. 19: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Ibid, Art. 26.2: “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1996, Art. 18.1: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship observance, practice and teaching.”

The right can be used to address issues relating to:

• Interpretations of religious texts, beliefs, philosophies and customs that respect freedom of thought and speech concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights
• Restrictions on the grounds of thought, conscience and religion to access sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services

Facts & figures

• In Ireland, a conscience clause in the Health (Family Planning) Act 1979 allows any health professional to refuse to provide contraceptive services on the grounds of religion. This disproportionately impacts on rural communities where the number of doctors is already low.1
• Many young women are faced with the challenge of saying no to unprotected sex, especially when dependent economically and socially on their male partners. The fear of violent consequences contributes to the absence of any negotiating position for protected sex.2
• Direct taboos and indirect restrictions deter women from discussing their health needs and risks, reduce access to health information and care and impair its quality.3
• Where cultural rules forbid men (even physicians) from directly examining women patients, the quality of care suffers greatly.3
• The taboos, which surround talking about sex mean that young women are often ignorant of contraception and STIs.4

1 Coliver, S. (ed) (1995) The Right to Know: Human Rights and Access to Reproductive Health and Information (for Article 19) pp164-165
2 Development Studies Network (2000) ‘Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health in the Developing World’ Development Bulletin (56)
3 UNFPA (2000) The State of World Population p17
4 IPPF