Key populations
Key populations – such as sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who use drugs – are disproportionately affected by HIV. These communities are also often among the most marginalised and discriminated against in society due to laws that criminalize their behaviours making it difficult for them to exercise their human rights, including accessing health services.
Currently the resources devoted to HIV prevention, treatment and care for these populations are not proportional to the HIV prevalence, which is not only a serious mismanagement of resources but also a failure to respect fundamental human rights. To understand why the prevention needs of key populations are currently not being met, research is needed to better understand the challenges, opportunities and barriers faced by these populations.
IPPF, in collaboration with UNFPA and a relevant network, have developed report cards for key populations, namely men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers and people who use drugs. The concept is based on the 25 national level HIV prevention report cards for young women and girls developed between 2006-2009. Each Report Card will provide an ‘at a glance’ summary of the current status of HIV prevention strategies and services for a particular key population and provide recommendations for key national, regional and international stakeholders and services providers to enhance action.
Women and Girls
The ‘HIV Prevention for Women and Girls’ report cards are a joint initiative by IPPF, UNFPA and Young Positives, under the umbrella of the Global Coalition of Women and AIDS.
Between 2006 and 2009, the initiative developed 25 advocacy report cards that summarize the situation of HIV prevention strategies and services for girls and young women in different countries and provide recommendations for key stakeholders.
The report cards have been widely disseminated among the national partners (IPPF Member Associations, UNFPA country offices and UNAIDS country offices) and key stakeholders.
They have been used in advocacy events and follow-up activities by the national partners and target populations which led to:
• Policy makers and national decision making bodies approaching and addressing issues around HIV prevention for young women and girls
• Programme managers and service providers adapting their HIV prevention strategies and programmes for young women and girls
• Young people being empowered to become more involved in decision making processes that affect their lives
Many of the report cards have been translated and printed into local languages to improve their reach.
| Cambodia - HIV Prevention Report Card Khmer version “Before the doctor used to be very friendly…but later they didn’t welcome me…after they found out I have HIV.”
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 | Cameroon - HIV Prevention Report Card Card French version "If a rich man parks a Mercedes car, whether he's infected or not, we don't care. All we want is money."
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| China - HIV Prevention Report Card 报告卡少女和青年妇女的艾滋病预防 Chinese language version “In our village, we do not know anything about HIV and AIDS.”
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 | Dominican Republic - HIV Prevention Report Card Spanish version “I feel that there is a weakness in the [National AIDS] response, a response that was once very participatory. The fact that there are no groups of children or youth, but instead these are represented by adults.” (Interview with Director of HIV/AIDS NGO)
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| Ethiopia - HIV Prevention Report Card Card “We have not had lessons on HIV in our school. In our biology class, we have been taught about the menstrual cycle and our anatomy, but very little on HIV.“
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 | Indonesia - HIV Prevention Report Card Bahasa version “It’s not just a matter of laws - the real problem is how people understand them - so they can understand about their rights.” (Interview with UN Agency).
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| India - HIV Prevention Report Card Hindi version "My husband refuses to use condoms as he thinks that condoms are for unmarried people."
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| Jamaica - HIV Prevention Report Card “Younger women are turning to (unprotected) anal intercourse as a prevention from pregnancy and to protect their virginity.”
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 | Kenya - HIV Prevention Report Card Swahili version “Access to services for HIV positive young girls and young women might be harder, mainly as a result of stigma, but this is fast changing.”
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| Malawi - HIV Prevention Report Card Chichewa version “When a girl is found with a condom, she is thought as a prostitute. A boy found with condom is regarded to be a clever boy.”
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 | Mexico - HIV Prevention Report Card Card Spanish version “One governor said, giving condoms to young people is like providing them with a six-pack of beer and a free night at the motel.” |
 | Morocco - HIV Prevention Report Card Arabic version "In a recent study carried out on sex work, it has been revealed that a high percentage of sex workers are divorced women who got married at a very early age. Such failure leads them to marginalization and compels them to have risky behaviour."
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| Mozambique - HIV Prevention Report Card Portuguese version “If my father tells me that it is good to use these services, I will want to go there.”
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 | Nepal - HIV Prevention Report Card Nepali version “If I go and talk about SRH issues in my community not a single bone of mine will be left unbroken. Boys need to become conscious for their own safety as well as for supporting girls.”
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| Nigeria - HIV Prevention Report Card “It is the males that have the power to dictate what happens in relationships.”
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 | Papua New Guinea - HIV Prevention Report Card “Many girls and young women are more concerned about what they think people would say about them than taking measures to avoid HIV.”
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 | Peru - HIV Prevention Report Card Spanish version “How can we expect that adolescents go with their parents to SRH services if they don´t even talk with them about sexual relationships?” (Interview with APROPO)
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| Philippines - HIV Prevention Report Card Tagalog version “Police arrest us whenever they feel like making a few bucks” (sex worker).
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 | Russia - HIV Prevention Report Card Russian version “To offer using condoms within a family is practically confession of infidelity.”
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 | Rwanda - HIV Prevention Report Card French version “The National Guidelines on condom distribution and use is in place but like in many other countries, female condom use has been completely disparaged by all walks of women in Rwanda; elite and semi elite in both rural and urban.” (Interview – Director, Family Planning Association)
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 | Serbia - HIV Prevention Report Card Serbian version “Young people do not know how to put a condom on let alone get proper education about HIV/AIDS and sexual health. This needs to change.” |
 | Sudan - HIV Prevention Report Card Arabic version “Girls are the weak part of the sexual relationship but in the AIDS era they have learnt how to protect themselves and boys accept the protection if it is offered in a nice way.”
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 | Swaziland - HIV Prevention Report Card Siswati version “Young people need to be more organized in order to be encouraged to get involved and participate in HIV prevention in their communities so that they can help each other.”
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| Thailand - HIV Prevention Report Card “The health professionals are not willing to provide services to ethnic people.”
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| Uganda - HIV Prevention Report Card Luganda version “I was in a forum for young people and one presenter said don’t use condoms and another presenter said use condoms.” |