The Global Criminalisation Scan is an international tool used in documenting laws, judicial practices and case studies around the criminalisation of HIV transmission.
The Criminalisation Scan was undertaken in Kenya by the National Empowerment Network of People living with HIV in Kenya (NEPHAK).
The study found that Kenya has two legal instruments that relate to HIV transmission.
The Global Criminalization Scan is an international tool used in documenting laws, judicial practices and case studies around the criminalisation of HIV transmission. The Network of Zambian People living with HIV, (NZP+) through the Leadership through Accountability programme adapted and implemented the Criminalisation Scan in Zambia in 2009. Although there are no known prosecutions specific to HIV transmission to date the government may be considering developing criminalisation legislation.
For more information on criminalisation in Africa and its countries, visit the the GNP+ criminalisation scan website
With improved access to treatment for people living with HIV, many are now able to live longer. As a result, there is growing interest in overall quality of life issues, including the sexual and reproductive health of people living with HIV. During the Leadership Through Accountability programme, GNP+ and it’s national partner networks have conducted in-country research using the Guidance Package: Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of People Living with HIV.
The studies conducted each focus on specific populations within the different countries. In Zambia the exploratory qualitative study sought to examine the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs, concerns and barriers to accessing related services for adolescents aged 10-19 years living with HIV in Zambia.
Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Injecting Drug Users living with HIV (GNP+ and INPUD, 2010) was developed by GNP+ and the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) in consultations with a reference group composed of people who use drugs living with HIV and activists. The report is based on the Guidance package on SRHR of people living with HIV.
Available in English, French, Russian and Spanish
Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Prisoners living with HIV (GNP+, 2010) has been developed in consultation with representatives from Australia’s National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS, Justice Action, a prisoners’ action group and a former manager of HIV services in prison. The document was authored by Kate Dolan, Program of International Research and Training, University of New South Wales, Australia.
Available in English, French, Russian, Spanish
Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Sex workers living with HIV (GNP+ and NSWP, 2010) was elaborated by GNP+ and the Networks of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) and is based on consultations with sex workers living with HIV conducted by the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW) and discussions with individual HIV-positive sex workers in other regions.
Available in English, French, Russian, Spanish
Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Men who have Sex with Men living with HIV (GNP+ and MSMGF, 2010) was elaborated by GNP+ the Global Forum on MSM and HIV (MSMGF), in close consultation with MSM living with HIV, including staff and steering committee members from MSMGF and staff from AIDS Project Los Angeles and MSM and other sexual health advocates around the world.
Available in English, French, Russian and Spanish
Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights of Migrants living with HIV (GNP+, 2010) was elaborated in consultation with people living with HIV through the African HIV Policy Network (AHPN), an umbrella of organisations from migrant communities in the United Kingdom. The document was authored by Ibidun Fakoyan.
Available in English, French, Russian, Spanish
With improved access to treatment for people living with HIV, many are now able to live longer. As a result, there is growing interest in overall quality of life issues, including the sexual and reproductive health of people living with HIV. During the Leadership Through Accountability programme, GNP+ and it’s national partner networks have conducted in-country research using the Guidance Package: Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of People Living with HIV.
The studies conducted each focus on specific populations within the different countries. In Kenya the study focussed on the high drop-out and failure rates of prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services.
This study of documenting human rights violations against PLHIV in Nepal was conducted by the National Association of PLHA in Nepal (NAP+N) in collaboration with the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+). This study was conducted across the country for the first time, and documented 30 human right violation cases; 20 men, 10 women, age range from 15 to 50 years old. The respondents are affiliated with 15 different community based organizations of PLHIV. In addition to the documenting of cases, the Nepal Environmental Lawyers Association (NELA) has supported NAP+N to discuss the Nepal’s interim constitutions 2007 and human rights articles, as well as facilitate discussions around the broader context of human rights in Nepal.
The state of HIV vaccine research (Andrea von Lieven, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative—IAVI)
How are HIV-positive people involved in vaccines research? (Anuar Luna, RedLa+)
The state of ARV-based microbicides research (Thomas Mertenskoetter, International Partnership for Microbicides)
Treatment-as-prevention models: What are the opportunities and challenges around treatment as prevention? (Edwin Bernard)
The state of PrEP research and preparedness (Cindra Feuer, AVAC)
PrEP hype and hope: What should make HIV-positive people worry or rejoice? What shouldn’t? (Ebony Johnson, ICW)
The role of normative agencies: What are the lessons learned from the engagement of HIV-positive people? (Chris Mallouris, GNP+)
Community engagement and advocacy, particularly in Africa (Samu Dube, Global Campaign for Microbicides—GCM)
The experience of HIV-positive women in Africa engaged in NPT efforts (Lucy Wambura, NEPHAK)
The case for rectal microbicides: challenges and opportunities for advocacy (Marc-André LeBlanc, International Rectal Microbicide Advocates—IRMA)
The landscape of sexual health for HIV-positive gay men (Jack Arayawongchai, APN+)
This report gives a global overview of the extent to which criminal and other laws have been used to prosecute people living with HIV for HIV transmission and exposure. The full impact of these laws on the human rights of people living with HIV and on access to treatment, care and support has yet to be fully understood. However, the evidence presented here shows that there is no correlation between the HIV prevalence in a country and the willingness of countries to use criminal laws and other punitive measures to regulate transmission.
A summary of results was presented at AIDS2010 in this poster.
For more information on HIV related criminalisation, visit the the GNP+ criminalisation scan website
This document reports on the findings of an exploratory study on coping strategies and life choices of couples in South Africa, Tanzania and the Ukraine living in long-term serodiscordant relationships – in which one partner is HIV-positive and the other HIV-negative. The primary motivation for doing the study was to inform prevention programmes and global advocacy efforts of GNP+ to promote the health of people living with HIV.
The study was conducted by GNP+, in collaboration with the Centre for Health Policy at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in Cape Town, South Africa.
A synopsis was published in the Reproductive Health Matters Magazine nr 37.
“Making the law work for the HIV response: A snapshot of selected laws that support or block universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support” is a compilation of some of the laws that can help create a legal envorinment which enable universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support (protective laws) or that can block such access for people living with HIV, sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men and people who use drugs (punitive laws). Corrections to the information are welcome and will be reflected in any future updates of the document.
This report presents the key points and recommendations that emerged during the e-consultation on the forthcoming revision of the WHO’s Recommendations for Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for HIV Infection in Adults and Adolescents (ART Guidelines), held between July 27th and August 16th, 2009. The e-consultation was organised by the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) and hosted by NAM. It aimed to gather the perspectives and values of people living with HIV (PLHIV) related to the upcoming revision to the ART Guidelines.
PLHIV see huge benefits in treatment and know that eventually they will need to take ARVs. But in the Asia Pacific region there is some reluctance to start treatment earlier based purely on some practical issues. In starting they want to be assured there will be nothing that will threaten their long term treatment effectiveness related mainly to resistance and the need to rely on second-line regimens which are either not available or not affordable right now. People are also very aware of side effects and their fear of them causes a reluctance to take treatment until it is ‘really necessary’.
They do not believe that guidelines should be compromised by lack of financial and other resources and that the new guidelines should be based on ‘best practice’. If this seems at odds with the first statement, it is because they aspire to optimum treatment but live with the day-to-day practicalities of what is possible, even if it is not optimal
