Is There a Right to Sex?

This chapter considers whether there is a moral case to be made for recognizing a right to sex. It argues that if the phrase “a right to sex” is understood to refer to a single claim right to sexual contact with another person, then there is no moral case to be made for recognizing it. However, if the phrase is understood to refer to a bundle of claim rights that, together, facilitate people in accessing meaningful sexual experiences (assuming the willing participation of any other involved persons) then there is a moral case to be made on its behalf. Many of the rights we already enjoy and debate could be seen to form part of this bundle of rights, and additional rights could also be plausibly added to this bundle.