Publication

Despite remarkable recent successes in the global response to HIV, punitive laws, policies, practices, stigma and human rights violations (see Annex) are threatening progress towards universal access targets and the Millennium Development Goals. Successful strategies for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support require supportive legal, regulatory and social environments that advance human rights, gender equality and social justice goals. Punishing and stigmatizing environments, in contrast, can increase people’s vulnerability to HIV infection, reduce access to and use of HIV services and other health and social services, discourage individual behaviour change, and increase the impact of HIV on people already living with the virus and on their families and communities.