Is There a Human Right to Reproductive Health?

This article was inspired by the 1998 Medical and Ecological Problems of Workers Health Conference (MEPWHC), in which researchers from around the world presented alarming data on the health of pregnant workers. Part I considers the meaning of health and discusses the health protections offered by international human rights documents. Part II examines a declaration written after the MEPWHC by the World Health Organisation/Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Committee of Experts on Reproductive Health at Work (COERHW) and proposes areas for further consideration when the COERHW reconvenes. Part III examines the role of the International Labour Organisation in protecting health in the workplace. Part IV concludes that a human right to reproductive health exists and that laws protecting occupational health, women's health, and reproductive health should be implemented and further developed. [Descriptors: Reproductive Rights - Overview, International]