This series of report cards aims to increase and improve the programmatic, policy and funding actions taken on HIV prevention for girls and young women.
The report cards summarise the current situation of HIV prevention strategies and services and contain an analysis of five key components that influence HIV prevention, namely:
1. Legal provision
2. Policy provision
3. Availability of services
4. Accessibility of services
5. Participation and rights
The cards build on global policy commitments, particularly those outlined in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS from the 2 June 2006 High-Level Meeting, to follow up on the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS (UNGASS).
Serbia
Although Serbia has a relatively low rate of HIV prevalence which is largely concentrated in the vulnerable and marginalised populations of injecting
drug users (IDUs), sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), prison inmates and the military, the status of girls and young women is an important factor which could contribute to an escalated prevalence among the general population.
As well as being surrounded by countries with advanced epidemics, Serbia’s geographical location places it on a well known drug and human-trafficking route.
This helps to explain the high rate of injecting drug use and the dangers that this poses to young people in a society which is characterized by high rates of unemployment and the breakdown of state social security.
Discrimination of the Roma community still exists, which has resulted in Roma women being particularly vulnerable, not just in terms of access to services but in terms of gender–based violence within their own communities.