Making the Linkages: HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Rights

This booklet discusses HIV/AIDS initiatives through the lens of sexual and reproductive rights (SRR) from a youth perspective. The authors promote linkages within the HIV/AIDS movement and the SRR movement to combine advocacy for SRR and HIV/AIDS rights.

Opening the document with a history of the sexual and reproductive rights and the HIV/AIDS movements, the authors recognise the work of the international women's movement and youth activists in establishing the platform of reproductive rights and advancing recognition of it internationally through research, analysis and human rights activism. They name new participant groups in activism including indigenous, women's, youth, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) groups. After recognising the diversity of international activist groups, they state that where issues of SRR intersect with those of HIV/AIDS, there have not been effective linkages.

Chapters include the topics of:

• "Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Principles," which ennumerates a universal set of rights followed by a second set for HIV positive individuals;
• "Youth Perspective," which includes youth advocacy for education and prevention;
• "Young Women Facing HIV AIDS," which lists situations of risk unique to young women, as well specific actions necessary to impact the situation of women and girls;
• "Analysis of Global, Regional and National Responses to HIV/AIDS," which briefly decribes the roles of major AIDS advocacy agencies, funds, and other international actors and reviews national and community responses;
• "Barriers to Overcoming the HIV/AIDS Pandemic," which, according to the authors, include misuse of funds, abstinence-only programmes, treatment-only programmes, and prevention-only programmes and then lists eleven elements of a successful youth HIV/AIDS program.
• "Major Violations of Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Relation to HIV/AIDS," including such issues as education without access to condoms for prevention, compulsory testing, and discrimination against HIV positive people;
• "Opportunities for Advocacy," describing opportunities on the national, regional, and international levels; and
• "Resources," including web links to rights declarations and global organisations.