Bodily autonomy - meaning and definition
Alsobody autonomybodily integritybody sovereigntymy body my choice
Definition
Bodily autonomy is the right of each person to make decisions about their own body, including who touches it, what health care they receive and whether to have children.
At a glance
- Each person has the right to decide what happens to their own body.
- It is the foundation of consent.
- It applies to intimacy, medical treatment, contraception, pregnancy and gender-related care.
- Human rights bodies, including the UN Population Fund, treat it as central to sexual and reproductive health.
- Everyday examples include being able to refuse a hug.
In detail
Bodily autonomy underpins consent: because each person has authority over their own body, no one else can decide for them what happens to it. The principle applies to intimacy, medical treatment, contraception, pregnancy and gender-related care.
The United Nations Population Fund and other human rights bodies describe bodily autonomy as a foundation of sexual and reproductive health. Everyday examples include being able to refuse a hug, choose contraception or decline a medical examination.
In a sentence
- Letting kids decide whether to hug relatives is a small way of teaching bodily autonomy.
- For me, choosing my own contraception is about bodily autonomy.
Where the word comes from
"Autonomy" comes from the Greek autos (self) and nomos (law), meaning self-rule. The phrase "bodily autonomy" is widely used in human rights and reproductive health work.
Common questions
What is an example of bodily autonomy?
Being able to decline a hug, choose or stop a form of contraception, or refuse a medical examination are all everyday examples of a person deciding what happens to their own body.
How is bodily autonomy related to consent?
Because each person has authority over their own body, no one else can decide for them what happens to it. Consent is how that authority is expressed in practice.