Sexuality, human rights, and demographic thinking : connections and disjunctions in a changing world

S. Corrêa, R. Parker

This paper documents the reframing at the start of the twenty-first century of the historical debate on ethics and demography, both in terms of greater emphasis on individual rights, as opposed to the previous emphasis on the public good, and through the inclusion of a variety of new dimensionsin particular, sexuality. This shift is intrinsically related to the emergence and impact of social movementsfeminists, gay and lesbian organizations, and HIV/AIDS-related initiativesthat became increasingly interconnected globally and were able to diffuse a public discourse concerning sexuality. Despite clear achievements in addressing sexuality and HIV/AIDS issues within a human rights frame, the conceptualization of ethical dimensions relating to demographic change and sexuality is not fully completed. This paper re-examines the recent and conflictive evolution of the global debate linking sexuality and human rights, identifies unresolved conceptual problems, and explores the implications of these new policy trends for demographic thinking.