Bodily autonomy
Bodily autonomy is the principle that each person should control decisions about their own body, including its care, use, and physical boundaries.
Informed consent: A voluntary agreement to a procedure or intervention made after receiving relevant information about its risks and alternatives. It turns bodily self-determination into a practical standard for medical decisions.
Reproductive rights: Rights concerning whether, when, and how to have children, including access to contraception and abortion. Reproductive choices are among the most contested applications of bodily self-determination.
Paternalism: Interference with a person’s choices justified by concern for that person’s own welfare. Paternalistic policies may override bodily choices in the name of protection.
Decision-making capacity: The ability to understand, evaluate, and communicate a choice about a particular decision. Capacity helps determine when a person can authorize or refuse bodily intervention.
Consent: Permission freely given by a person with capacity to authorize an action affecting them. Bodily autonomy depends on consent being voluntary, specific, and revocable.
Abortion: The intentional ending of a pregnancy before birth. Debates over abortion directly concern who may decide whether a pregnancy continues.
Public health ethics: The moral framework for decisions that affect the health of populations and communities. Public health measures can limit individual bodily choices to reduce collective risk.
Confidentiality: The duty to protect private information from unauthorized disclosure. Control over bodily matters often depends on control over sensitive health information.
Coercion: The use of force, threats, or pressure to constrain another person’s choices. Coercion can make apparent agreement incompatible with genuine control over one’s body.
Organ donation: The donation of organs or tissues for transplantation, during life or after death. Donation rules test whether bodily materials may be used without a person’s authorization.