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PLHIV consult on Sexual and Reproductive Rights |
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Monday, 26 November 2007 |
Women, men and young people living with HIV are meeting in Amsterdam
from December 5 to 7 for a Global Consultation on Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights of people living with HIV.
With care and treatment becoming increasingly available people living
with HIV are regaining their health, living longer, and planning for
their futures, including decisions about sex, sexuality and the
possibility of starting or expanding families.
For a person living with HIV, dealing with sex means dealing with
difficult issues at vulnerable moments and in vulnerable settings. It
is most often that people living with HIV are expected to disclose
their HIV status before engaging in sexual relations – in some
countries it is even a legal obligation, even though this may lead to
gender-based violence.
People living with HIV are expected to initiate and engage in safe sex
strategies to prevent receiving STIs or transmitting HIV to one’s
sexual partner(s). With regards to family planning, people need to be
able to make well informed decisions around conceiving, pregnancy,
preventing mother to child transmission and breastfeeding.
Following a large meeting on the sexual and reproductive rights (SRR)
issues of women, men and people living with HIV in 2006, organizations
such as WHO, UNFPA, and Engenderhealth, are now developing a
comprehensive guidance package on the sexual and reproductive rights
for people living with HIV.
The Guidance Package is being developed in close collaboration with the
positive networks ICW, GNP+, and Young Positives, which have undertaken
a consultative process ensuring the meaningful input from a broad range
of women, men and young people living with HIV in-country.
The Global Consultation on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is
the culmination of this process, and will bring together 80 women, men
and young people living with HIV/AIDS - as well as heterosexuals,
transgenders, gays and MSM, as drug users and sex workers-, and
representatives of UNAIDS, UNFPA, IPPF, WHO, EngenderHealth and
other like-minded partners. The consultation will offer opportunities
to hold gender-specific, region specific and/or area of interest
specific work groups, to enable uninhibited discussions on SRR needs
and concerns.
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