World AIDS Day 2007

Life, love and HIV

IPPF has made a commitment to address the specific needs of those most vulnerable to infection, particularly girls and young women.

We have produced a series of HIV Prevention Report Cards that focus on this issue.

We marked World AIDS Day this year by holding an exhibition at the Department For International Development (DFID), portraying young women and girls and how their lives have been affected by HIV.

The posters can be seen below, hover over them to see the quote and country they are from.

’As it is now, infected people are stigmatized and therefore reluctant to come out in the open. People should be encouraged to know their status and live positively without discrimination.’ Kenya ’Some doctors don’t treat patients well and some act as if it is the patient’s fault that she is HIV positive.’ Bulgaria

’Boys and young men do not think about contracting any disease, especially HIV. They only think about the glamour attached to sex.’ Dominican Republic ’Community talks would address issues about the reality of HIV that the church finds too difficult to talk about.’ Jamaica

’The main barrier for women in the hospital is the absence of a female doctor. There is no privacy and confidentiality in the government hospitals. Males and females are treated in the same room.’ India ’The adults in the PLHIV support groups do not want to talk with younger people. They will say, ‘You go away and we will talk adult business now.’ Malawi

’Society keeps a watchful eye on girls and censors them more than boys, so we are not free to access the services.’ Mauritania ’During festivals, stalls are put up giving information on reproductive health services, but when we enquire we are not given information. Our voices are not heard.’ Nepal

’Many girls and young women are more concerned about what they think people would say about them if the were positive, than actually taking measures to avoid HIV.’ Papua New Guinea ’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.’ Sudan

‘The majority of projects in our community deal with those who are negative or untested for prevention rather than people already living with HIV.’ Serbia ’There are no available services in the community and no information. The only stuff we’ve heard about AIDS is through the media.’ Philippines

Life, love and HIV
The voices of young women and girls

Around 40 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV: a number that increases every day.

Young women and girls are disproportionately affected by the epidemic and continue to face complex challenges when seeking HIV-related services.

The exhibition illustrated the everyday lives, hopes and aspirations of twelve girls and young women (aged 15–24) who are directly affected by HIV and AIDS.

It aimed to explore the specific sexual and reproductive health needs of young women affected by HIV, and the underlying gender inequalities driving infection rates.

The significance of working with men and boys as
partners in HIV prevention is also highlighted.

We hope to raise awareness of the importance of placing young women and girls at the centre of the response to HIV.

Most of the girls and young women pictured have been involved in focus group discussions on HIV prevention in their countries. These have contributed to the production of a set of Report Cards on HIV prevention for girls and young women, which were developed with the support of the UNAIDS Global Coalition on Women
and AIDS.

The report cards provide evidence-based findings and recommendations on HIV prevention for girls and young women and advocate for action from key
stakeholders to better address HIV prevention among girls and young women.