In 2008, our 41 Member Associations in Latin America and the Caribbean provided 29, 819,125 services. We helped improve individual lives, change attitudes and reduce poverty’s grip throughout the region. We drove on rugged mountain roads to serve women living in remote villages, miles from the nearest clinic. We were in the forefront of opposition to restrictive laws repressive policies and that deprive women of their dignity and the right to determine their own reproductive destinies.  We also empowered young people through peer education programs and increased their access to appropriate sexual and reproductive health education, information and services.

Five years remain for governments to fully implement the Programme of Action agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994.  There is an urgency to analyze and evaluate its implementation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.  The experiences and outcomes of the last 15 years represent an urgent call for attention to prioritize and intensify the efforts to accomplish the intended program goals, with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive rights.

Sexual rights are a component of human rights, they are an evolving set of entitlements related to sexuality that contribute to the freedom, equality and dignity of all people, and they cannot be ignored.

Who is this guide for?

It is for anyone who wants to know more about the criminalization of HIV transmission or exposure and the related health, human rights and legal implications. This guide can help you to become more familiar with the latest laws, legal support and other services relating to HIV in your country or region.

The ten key questions

in this guide provide a snapshot of case studies and opinions from around the world. They ask and answer the key questions about the criminalization of HIV transmission and exposure – what it is and why it is an increasingly important issue now; and what are the human dimensions in terms of:

• health
• stigma
• human rights
• the law
• the experiences of people living with HIV