Human rights

A lack of respect for human rights drives the HIV epidemic. The marginalisation, stigmatisation and criminalisation of some groups of people increases their vulnerability to HIV; gender inequalities can prevent women and girls from being able to protect themselves from HIV; and discrimination prevents equitable access to healthcare.

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  • The Slow Rollout Of PrEP Is Denying Gay Men Their Right To Human Dignity

    Gay men are already a socially marginalised and stigmatised group – their health can no longer continue to be sacrificed, National AIDS Trust's Yused Azad writes

    24 June 2019 | Huffington Post

  • UNAIDS welcomes the decision of the High Court of Botswana to repeal laws that criminalize and discriminate against LGBT people

    UNAIDS applauds the landmark decision of the High Court of Botswana to declare unconstitutional key provisions of Sections 164 and 167 of the Botswana Penal Code. Those provisions criminalized certain private sexual acts and have led to discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Botswana.

    11 June 2019 | UNAIDS

  • Botswana scraps gay sex laws in big victory for LGBTQ rights in Africa

    Botswana's High Court has overturned a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual same-sex relations in a landmark victory for Africa's LGBTQ movements. The ruling comes just a month after Kenya's high court upheld its laws criminalizing homosexuality.

    11 June 2019 | CNN

  • UNAIDS calls on countries to remove discriminatory laws and enact laws that protect people from discrimination

    Ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), on 17 May, UNAIDS is calling on all countries to remove discriminatory laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. Discriminatory laws drive key populations out of reach of critical health and social services.

    16 May 2019 | UNAIDS

  • Transgender Immigration detainee died of AIDS complications, autopsy shows

    The official autopsy for Honduran migrant Roxsana Hernandez found she had "untreated HIV." Advocates say she was detained after requesting asylum. “I think this person was denied the minimum standard required by U.S. law for prisoners and detainees,” Dr. Chris Beyrer, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, told NBC News after reviewing the official autopsy report.

    24 April 2019 | CBS News

  • New UN guidelines to mainstream human rights in the global drugs debate

    In early March, the Chief Executives Board of the United Nations, representing 31 UN agencies – including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime – adopted a common position on drug policy. Among the actions agreed is was a commitment to “support the development and implementation of policies that put people, health and human rights at the centre … and to promote a rebalancing of drug policies and interventions towards public health approaches”.

    19 March 2019 | The Conversation

  • India’s first LGBTQ clinic and HIV treatment centre inaugurated in Mumbai

    Based out of the Humsafar Trust’s office jn Mumbai, the centre will give free counselling and provide Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) to the LGBTQ community. TAshok Row Kavi, founder chairperson of the Trust, said: “Until now we would get testing done for the community members at our centre. If tested positive for the disease, they would be asked to go to Sion Hospital, but there was a huge dropout (rate) there. Because of how the community is perceived outside, a lot of these people wouldn’t seek treatment."

    12 March 2019 | Hindustan Times

  • UNAIDS urges action to change discriminatory laws in order to restore dignity and respect and save lives

    On Zero Discrimination Day, UNAIDS calls on countries to examine discriminatory provisions in their laws and policies and make positive changes to ensure equality, inclusion and protection

    01 March 2019 | UNAIDS press release

  • Angola Decriminalizes Same-Sex Conduct

    Angola has finally shed the divisive “vices against nature” provision in its law, widely interpreted to be a ban on homosexual conduct.

    25 January 2019 | Human Rights Watch LGBT

  • Vigilante Raid on Indonesian HIV Group

    This week a militant Islamist group in Indonesia raided the offices of an HIV prevention organization on suspicion that the group had been conducting “LGBT activities.” The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) was joined by Indonesian soldiers and local residents in an incident that follows a disturbing pattern of similar vigilante raids across Indonesia. 

    18 January 2019 | Human Rights Watch LGBT
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Community Consensus Statement on Access to HIV Treatment and its Use for Prevention

Together, we can make it happen

We can end HIV soon if people have equal access to HIV drugs as treatment and as PrEP, and have free choice over whether to take them.

Launched today, the Community Consensus Statement is a basic set of principles aimed at making sure that happens.

The Community Consensus Statement is a joint initiative of AVAC, EATG, MSMGF, GNP+, HIV i-Base, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ITPC and NAM/aidsmap
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