UNAIDS is undergoing development of its new Global Strategy, and it is important that sexual and reporductive health and rights (SRHR) be fully integrated to ensure that the rights and needs of key affected communities in Asia Pacific are addressed, and no one is left behind.
The current UNAIDS Strategy (2016-2021), clearly recognizes the critical need to make progress on the realization of all human rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, in order to end the epidemic of AIDS.
The Asia Pacific region has a concentrated epidemic – meaning that those most at risk and/or affected by HIV are already marginalized, including sex workers, migrant and mobile populations, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who use drugs, young key populations, amongst others. Gender adds another dimension, with key affected women and girls at particular risk due to pervasive and harmful gender norms.
The interconnections between SRHR and HIV are clear, with key populations at a high risk of SRHR violations. This is due to criminalization of behaviours, intersecting forms of stigma and discrimination, gender-based and sexual violence. There are violations which specifically take place in healthcare settings, for example denial of service, sterilization of women living with HIV, forced testing of migrant women and girls, or forced abortion.
The fulfilment of SRHR and bodily autonomy, including access to quality SRH information, education and services, the expression of sexuality free from discrimination and violence , the ability to choose when and whether to marry, and have children, all have profound implications for ensuring quality of life and prevention of HIV transmission.
Despite this, in a global survey disseminated by UN AIDS earlier this year that asked stakeholders to assess how UNAIDS is reaching Agenda 2030 (and in particular SDGs target 3.3 ‘ to end the AIDS epidemic’) and to explore if the current strategy successful or not, and how, only included SRHR in a peripheral way.
There is still time to ensure that SRHR is integrated into the new global strategy, as UN AIDS is only at the beginning of the strategy development and there will be further consultations taking place at the national and regional level during phase 2. However, with the USA assuming leadership of the UN AIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB), it is sure to be a challenge, which is all the more reason that is be firmly embedded from the beginning.
Advocates and allies of key populations need to act quickly, or we run the risk of SRHR being completely side-lined in the new "Beyond 21" strategy.
