حقوق باروری در نظام سلامت ایران: دستاوردها و چالش‌ها

Rights of reproduction is included in human rights which are recognized by all countries and is defined as: All individuals and couples have a right to make decision concerning the number and spacing of their children and the issues of fertilization without tolerating violence, coercion and discrimination. The purpose of this writing is to study some criteria of health in Iranian health system, gained outcomes and challenging which the system face. Maternal mortality: The rate of maternal mortality has decreased significantly from 234 cases in 1975 to 23.84 cases in 1988. Although Iranian health system has been successful in the reduction of the number of maternal mortality, it has a long way to go to reach the aims predicted by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education concerning 18 live cases in each 100 000 births. It should be borne in mind that the rate of maternal mortality will increase rapidly if it is ignored. Family planning: Despite wide usage of contraception methods (56%), the rate of unwanted pregnancy cases is high. Data analysis showed that 35% of married pregnant women considered their pregnancy unwanted. Two-third of those inflicted with unwanted pregnancy was using one method of contraception methods or the other. This clearly means that the council of health care centers was not enough. Safe abortion: There is no exact data regarding induced abortion in Iran. Some statistical figures have indicated the rate as 80000 cases annually. World Health Organization estimates 1000 cases of unsafe abortion in every day in Iran. According to a program entitled “population and health in Iran”, about one out of four cases of pregnancy is unwanted for the couples. Regarding the annual birth (1 200 000 cases), with the presumption of 2% of induced abortion, its certain figure and its consequences, it becomes clear that it should be urgently dealt with. Violence: Based on different studies, the prevalence of physical violence in Iran is reported as 11%-47%. In other studies the rate of sexual violence against pregnant women was reported from 10.7% to 14.5%. Violence against pregnant women is not only to breach woman’s rights as a human but it is also to breach the fight of a fetus because there is a positive relation between physical violence and reduction of weight of fetus. Discussion and conclusions: violence against women, lack of access to health care clinics with high quality, and high rate of service delivery in private clinics affects negatively not only on women but also on all members of the family. Therefore, rights of reproduction are not only dedicated to women but are basic rights of all human beings.