Maine, Deborah

This article discusses issues relating to the detection, treatment and measurement of maternal morbidity from the public health point of view. Second, the article explains how the United Nations Guidelines can be translated into law, as binding standards which judge state parties' compliance with the provisions of international human rights treaties relating to women's healthcare. Part II describes the scope of maternal morbidity and discusses the reasons for using the United Nations Guidelines.

The authors note that in many countries a spouse, usually the husband, can veto a partner's use of family planning services and that where spousal veto acts as a barrier to family planning services, it represents a serious threat to the lives and health of women and children. The authors point out that removal of spousal authorization requirements has been shown to increase the use of family planning services and that courts of several countries have held that spousal veto practices violate principles of personal privacy and autonomy and the right to health care.