The Psychological Need for Reproductive Freedom

Let’s talk about the psychological NEED (not want) for reproductive freedom.

Pictured above is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This is probably something you’ve seen in an intro to psychology class. All of the things listed here are parts of the human experience that NEED to be satisfied in order to have psychological well being. Our needs start at the bottom and we work our way up. This means in order for higher level needs to be met, we must first meet our lower level needs. For example, our need for loving relationships and a sense of belonging cannot be met if our general need for safety is under threat.

Please notice that reproduction is all the way at the bottom of the hierarchy. This means that when our needs are not met in terms of reproduction, it crumbles the ability to meet any higher level needs. Our reproductive needs can include having children or being childfree, as each individual may experience differing levels needs (e.g., no reproductive needs or high reproductive needs). This means people who are forced to have children who do not want to or people who cannot have children who want to will struggle in all other domains of functioning. Political actions that restrict access to abortion or IVF then impact an individual's physiological wellbeing, safety, sense of love and belonging, and self-esteem needs. Therefore, people unable to access family planning may experience a loss of safety, difficulty being intimate and connecting with others, and lose their sense of autonomy and self-respect. Having control of our reproduction freedom is as critical as having food, water, and air, as it is a very core human need.

However, if you are somebody who has experienced unmet needs in this domain of life, there are ways of coping with unmet psychological needs and improving other areas of psychological functioning. In fact, having unmet psychological needs is a very common concern for individuals entering therapy. Even further, sociopolitical acts can assist in having access to the medical resources necessary to control this aspect of our lives, thereby drastically improving the overall wellbeing and mental health within society.