The right to health is linked to the right to private life in several ways through a variety of personal health-related matters.
The concept of private life is very broad and does not have strictly defined contours. Yet, it is certain that health-related matters – such as a patient’s consent to a medical procedure, reproductive rights, health data protection, and so on – are part of a person’s private life.
The right to health is linked to the right to private life in several ways. The most important of them are the following:
Data protection
Information concerning a person’s health is a key element of a person’s private life and thus needs to be properly treated and protected.
example A patient has to be sure that the information shared with the doctor during a visit will not be made public.
A person’s integrity and autonomy
A person’s physical, psychological and moral integrity means that a person should not be subject to unlawful interference with their body or mental state. Personal autonomy means that a person can make independent decisions about their life (including their health and body) without coercion from anyone. This also concerns a person’s decisions in the context of health care.
example An adult patient is afraid of and wishes to refuse surgery. In this case, the doctors can only explain the importance of the surgery, but cannot perform it contrary to the person’s wish.
Read more about data and privacy and the right to private life in this Guide.
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