It consists of three primary principles:
1. The right not to have a child
2. The right to have a child
3. The right to parent children in safe and health environments
In addition, reproductive justice demands sexual autonomy and gender freedom for every human being
It differs from the Reproductive Rights Movement (1960s), which was led by white women whose main concern was overpopulation of the minority. Women of color understood that these basic reproductive rights were not enough for the majority. They went against the US Government's agenda to make "America Great”. They for health care for the poor, child-care, welfare right, and anti-sterilization movement. Women of color continues to challenge the white-middle class women to recognize the missing puzzle piece and we need to push as well that reproductive rights need human rights.
Now in the 21st century we can see that health care programs sanctioned by the government is having a negative impact on reproductive health for women of color. Based on Esperanza Spalding, they already have “less access to quality health care due to intersections of structural racism, inequality, sexism, classism, xenophobia, and other systemic barriers."
The American Health Care Act (2017) is an act that defunded Planned Parenthood, a programed that helped fund reproductive needs [STI/ STD treatments, access to contraception, cancer screening and prevention, abortions, etc]. The defunding of Planned Parenthood was meant to decrease funding for abortions, but a majority of what the program does is for STI/ STD treatments and providing contraceptives.
