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Islam on reproductive rights
See also: Women in Islam See also: Islamic sexual jurisprudence

Islam is a combination of both texts and practices. It is important to know that unlike Catholicism, Islam do not have an institutional hierarchy which leaves open space for a multitude of interpretations of the sacred texts. Hence, no generalisation should be concluded and applied to the Islam as a whole. Islam evolves and has a different influence on countries, due to the multiple interpretations of texts but also due to the context in which countries are (economic, geographic, cultural or political). For that reason, not all Muslim countries or countries where the majority of the population is Muslim, have the same views or laws regarding reproductive rights.

Having a sexual life is allowed and encouraged in Islam however it comes with some restrictions: it has to be between a man and a woman and between spouses. The sacred texts of Islam have a progressive approach to sex and recognise it as an important aspect of life. Moreover, Islam says that parents should teach their children about all aspects of life, including sex implying that Islam is in favour of sex education. However the social-cultural context has a considerable impact on countries and their education policies. Most Muslim countries do not have sex education programs for several reasons such as: premarital sex between adolescents is forbidden, the negative impact it will have on them (encouraging students to engage in sexual intercourse), the stigma and embarrassment, unwillingness to talk about this topic in public, talking about this topic is taboo, etc.

 Abortion 

Further information: Islam and abortion There are different views on abortion depending on the school of thought, even though most of them are against it, except certain circumstances. There is a wide consensus among interpretations that abortion after 120 days since the conception should not happen unless exceptional circumstances, such as the mother's life is at risk. However, there is no consensus on whether or not abortion prior the 120 days mark should be allowed or not. In 2020, 17 countries have a total ban on abortion and 5 of these countries are Muslim or with a predominant portion of the population being Muslim (Sierra Leone, Senegal, Mauritania, Egypt and Iraq) which 3 of these are practicing the Sharia law (Mauritania, Egypt and Iraq). Abortion is legal in other Muslim countries, some with more or less restrictions than others. Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are examples of Muslim-majority countries with very progressive abortion laws which allow abortion on request.

 Birth control 

See also Religion and birth control

Several schools of interpretation agreed on contraception being a valid practice, at worst not favourable but should not banned. Similar to other religions, Islam describes children as blessings from Allah but children have rights and there are several religious conditions that parents need to be able to meet, like the right to education. Hence, Hanafi jurists allowed for ways to avoid pregnancy if the future parent(s) are not in a situation to raise a child properly. There is also no specific time frame on which couples are allowed to use birth control. This leads to a debate around sterilisation and if the irreversible use of birth control methods should be allowed. The sacred texts do not mention this issue which leave it up for interpretation. Some argue that since there is no time restriction on birth control, then sterilisation should be allowed whereas others argue that getting in the way of creating a child altogether is forbidden, sterilisation should too since it is irreversible. Most Muslim-majority countries allow sterilisation as a birth control practice.

 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 

Further information: Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a practice that consists in removing a part or the totality of the external female genital for non-medical reasons. This practice, also sometimes referred to as cutting, occurs mainly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and the part of the population experiencing it is usually girls from early childhood until the age of 15. FMG is "recognized internationally as a violation of human's rights of girls and women". While Islam is invoked as a justification for FMG, there is no evidence in the sacred texts supporting this practice which makes this practice a cultural one and not a religious one. Several Muslim countries banned this practice such as Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Sudan, Nigeria and others.