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Reproductive Health Matters
An international journal on sexual and reproductive health and rights
Volume 22, 2014 - Issue 44: Using the law and the courts
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Original Articles

Can a restrictive law serve a protective purpose? The impact of age-restrictive laws on young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services

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Abstract

This article explores the purpose, function and impact of legal restrictions imposed on children’s and young people’s involvement in sexual activity and their access to sexual and reproductive health services. Whilst there is no consensus on the age at which it is appropriate or acceptable for children and young people to start having sex, the existence of a minimum legal age for sexual consent is almost universal across national jurisdictions, and many states have imposed legal rules that place restrictions on children’s and young people’s independent access to health services, including sexual health services. The article draws on evidence and analysis from a recent study conducted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in collaboration with the Coram Children’s Legal Centre, UK, which involved a global mapping of laws in relation to sexual and reproductive rights, and exploratory qualitative research in the UK, El Salvador and Senegal amongst young people and health care providers. The article critically examines the social and cultural basis for these rules, arguing that the legal concept of child protection is often founded on gendered ideas about the appropriate boundaries of childhood knowledge and behaviour. It concludes that laws which restrict children’s access to services may function to place children and young people at risk: denying them the ability to access essential information, advice and treatment.

Résumé

Cet article étudie le but, la fonction et l’impact des restrictions légales imposées à la participation d’enfants et de jeunes à l’activité sexuelle et leur accès aux services de santé sexuelle et génésique. S’il n’y a pas de consensus sur l’âge auquel il est approprié ou acceptable que les enfants et les jeunes commencent à être sexuellement actifs, l’existence d’un âge minimum légal du consentement sexuel est presque universel dans les juridictions nationales, et beaucoup d’États ont imposé des règles juridiques qui restreignent l’accès indépendant des enfants et des jeunes aux services de santé, notamment sexuelle. L’article s’inspire de données et d’analyses d’une récente étude réalisée par la Fédération internationale pour la planification familiale en collaboration avec le Coram Children’s Legal Centre, Royaume-Uni, qui a recensé les lois sur les droits sexuels et génésiques, et d’une recherche qualitative exploratoire menée au Royaume-Uni, en El Salvador et au Sénégal auprès de jeunes et de prestataires de soins de santé. L’article examine de manière critique la base sociale et culturelle de ces règles, avançant que le concept juridique de protection de l’enfant est souvent fondé sur des conceptions sexuées des limites convenables imposées aux connaissances et comportements infantiles. Il conclut que les lois qui restreignent l’accès des enfants aux services peuvent créer des risques pour les enfants et les jeunes en leur refusant la possibilité de bénéficier d’informations, de services et de traitements essentiels.

Resumen

Este artículo explora el propósito, función e impacto de las restricciones legales impuestas sobre la participación de niños y personas jóvenes en la actividad sexual y su acceso a servicios de salud sexual y reproductiva. Aunque no existe un consenso en cuanto a la edad a la cual es apropiado o aceptable que los niños y personas jóvenes empiecen a tener relaciones sexuales, la existencia de una edad legal mínima para el consentimiento sexual es casi universal en las jurisdicciones nacionales, y muchos Estados han establecido reglas jurídicas que imponen restricciones sobre el acceso independiente de los niños y las personas jóvenes a los servicios de salud, incluidos los servicios de salud sexual. Este artículo se basa en evidencia y análisis de un estudio reciente realizado por la Federación Internacional de Planificación de la Familia en colaboración con Coram Children’s Legal Centre, en el Reino Unido, que consistió en el mapeo mundial de las leyes relacionadas con los derechos sexuales y reproductivos, e investigaciones exploratorias cualitativas realizadas en el Reino Unido, El Salvador y Senegal entre personas jóvenes y profesionales de la salud. El artículo examina de manera crítica la base social y cultural para estas reglas, argumentando que el concepto jurídico de protección infantil está usualmente fundado en ideas de género respecto a los límites apropiados para los conocimientos y comportamientos en la infancia. Concluye que las leyes que restringen el acceso de los niños a los servicios posiblemente pongan en riesgo a los niños y los jóvenes: negándoles la posibilidad de obtener información, tratamiento y servicios esenciales.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Jennifer Roest, Coram Children’s Legal Centre, for her invaluable contributions and Prof. Carolyn Hamilton, Coram Children’s Legal Centre, for her helpful supervision. We would also like to thank the International Planned Parenthood Federation for their support. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors.

Tuvalu, 2004

Notes

* We use the term ‘children and young people’ to refer to persons aged up to 24 years. This is in accordance with the internationally recognised legal definition of ‘children’ as referring to those aged up to 18 years (see e.g. article 1, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) and the WHO-adopted definition of ‘young people’ as referring to persons aged 15–24 years. Both definitions are widely used in law and policy.

* For example, Article 167, Penal Code, 1997 (El Salvador) and Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 (Ireland).

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