The medical profession and the defense and promotion of sexual and reproductive rights.

The values of the medical profession and other healthcare providers allow assessment of the relationship between physicians, healthcare teams, patients, and healthcare networks regarding the defense and promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights. This paper questions the traditional model of the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients, based on the classic paternalistic role of the physician. It describes the tools available to the medical profession and healthcare teams for the promotion of sexual and reproductive rights, and proposes specific actions that would lead to improvements for women and communities.