IPPF had a record 85 participants at the recent International AIDS Conference in Mexico.
The main issues we wanted to encourage debate about were:
The theme of our booth this year was: Tried and applied: discover how we use evidence-informed advocacy and services to link HIV with sexual and reproductive health.
To find out people’s opinion on this issue, in the exhibition booth there was a scribble wall where the delegates were invited to complete the phrase ‘HIV and sexual and reproductive health should be linked because…'
There were lots of contributions, in many languages. Comments included:
"…we will be able to reach more people and maximize the use of our resources"
"…reproductive health must consider this field of services for PLHIV which is ignored by the health authorities to reach the goal of comprehensive 
care"
"…that’s the only way to make any real progress in prevention"
"…it only makes sense. Both are human rights issues – and research shows it is cost effective."
Our exhibition booth at the conference was incredibly successful and we distributed over 10,000 condoms, 3000 publications and 2000 HIV resource CDs throughout the conference.
IPPF Member Associations, Regional Offices and Central Office were involved in a wide range of events including:
Satellite sessions
- The Role of Funding Mechanisms in Creating Synergy Between Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Programmes (Sunday 3rd August 2008)
- Intensify HIV Prevention: Meeting the Challenges of Scale, Demand and Drivers (Monday 4th Aug)
- It's Risky Business Focusing on Risks Only - Comprehensive Sexuality Education for all (Monday 4th Aug)
- Raising Women's Voices from the Margins: A Progressive Platform for the U.S. Global AIDS Response in PEPFAR II (Tuesday 5th Aug)
- Crime and Punishment: Criminalization of HIV (Tuesday 5th Aug)
- Linking Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV (Tuesday 5th Aug)
- Sex and Sensibility: Meeting the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of People living with HIV (Thursday 7th Aug)
- Comprehensive Condom Programming: So Much Potential, Yet so Little Progress (Thursday 7th Aug)
Presentations
Criminalization of HIV
Adding insult to injury - Naz Foundation
Answers and Alternatives - UNAIDS
Getting the Evidence: The People Living with HIV Stigma Index
Into the firing line - ICW
Punishments not matching the crime - GNP+
Race and immigration - AHPN
Linking Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV
ART delivery - IPPF Africa Region
Linking Sexual & Reproductive Health and HIV: Evidence Review and Recommendations – Gail Kennedy
Preventing mother to child transmission: simple and complex - UNFPA
Structural interventions - London School of Hygeine and Tropical Medicine
Meeting the SRH needs of PLHIV
Access to safe abortion for PLHIV - IPAS
Empowering African women living with HIV - ICW
HIV positive men as sexual partners - IPPF
Responding to SRH of PLHIV - WHO
Oral presentations
- Dreams and Desires: Exploring the sexual and reproductive choices of HIV positive men and women - A qualitative perspective (Kevin Osborne, IPPF, Monday 4 Aug)
- Linking Sexual & Reproductive Health and HIV: Evidence Review and Recommendations - Lucy Almers
- Pursuing Desire: Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention Integration (Caitlin Kennedy, Monday 4 Aug)
- Positive Prevention (Alejandra Trossero, IPPF, Tuesday 5 Aug)
Skills building workshops
Publication launch
Make it Matter: 10 key advocacy messages to prevent HIV in girls and young women (in collaboration with UNFPA and Young Positives, Wednesday 6th Aug)
There were also two poster discussions by IPPF Member Associations and 11 posters exhibited.
The International AIDS Conference is held every two years and is the biggest worldwide gathering of people working in the HIV field.