Global Commission on HIV and the Law: Risks, Rights & Health

Year
2012

This report and executive summary by the Global Commission on HIV and Law, supported by UNDP, examines the role of law in effective HIV responses. The report is based on expert submissions, research on HIV, health and law, and testimony of 700 people most affected by HIV-related laws from 140 countries.

It documents  the harms of criminalising of sex work, drug use, HIV transmission, and same sex activity, mandatory testing and treatment, violence and discrimination, and putative restrictions on HIV funding such as the anti-prostitution loyalty oath in PEPFAR.

Contents Include:

  • Contextual Information
  • Introduction on the role of laws in vulnerability to HIV
  • Against discrimination: health and dignity through laws
  • Punishing vulnerability: criminalisation of HIV transmission, exposure and non-disclosure
  • Risk+Stigma: Key Populations
    • People who use drugs
    • Sex workers
    • Men who have sex with men
    • Transgender persons
    • Prisoners
    • Migrants
  • Women
  • Children and youth
  • Intellectual property law and the global fight for treatment
  • Summary of recommendations.

This resource is useful for sex workers arguing for decriminalisation and HIV programming that respect human rights.

You can download this 16 page executive summary and 150 page report above. This resource is available in Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.