Indian women die, seriously injured, after mass sterilization drive
Human Rights, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS news making the headlines that you probably will not read anywhere in the USA news – with thanks to the good people at SAfAIDS for their “Zero Tolerance for Homophobia” campaign:
Being a sex worker doesn’t give you the right to violate her: Delhi court
Four men who raped a Rwandan woman refugee in Delhi just weeks before the brutal December 16 gang rape shook the Capital have been found guilty and sentenced to the maximum penalty of 10 years in jail by a Delhi court.
The men, in their defense, had claimed the woman was a prostitute and an illegal immigrant who had falsely implicated them to find an excuse to stay on in the country. The court, however, said their argument “deserves to be rejected outright”. Read more on: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/court-upholds-sex-worker-s-dignity-jails-4-rapists-in-city/article1-1285460.aspx
We applaud the court’s ruling; no one has the right to violate a person on the basis that they are a sex worker.
Uganda: Limited Support for Key Populations Undermines Ugandan HIV Control
Kampala — Uganda’s HIV/AIDS control efforts have been undermined by a lack of consensus and clarity over which people constitute Key Populations (KPs) to be targeted in various prevention, care and treatment efforts, say experts.
There is no consensus on the definitions of, and who to include as, KPs, with activists noting that the lack of clarity on KPs at policy level has an adverse impact on HIV prevention, care and treatment. Read more on: http://allafrica.com/stories/201410171420.html
South Africa: HIV Stigma Turns Deadly for New Mum
But Eunice was not coping with her HIV status and, just four days after giving birth, hung herself. In a suicide note discovered next to Eunice’s pillow by her family, Eunice said she had lost hope after her diagnosis. Read more on the following link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201411110600.html
Whilst we are moving forward to focus more on HIV treatment and prevention, the article above really shows that we have not yet fully addressed HIV stigma. Eunice’s death could have been avoided if she had been provided with the right information and psycho-social support. The Zero Tolerance for Homophobia and Transphobia Team is quite saddened and hopes that tools such as the Stigma Index will provide relevant evidence for programs to strengthen HIV stigma reduction.
South Africa: HIV infection highest among men who have sex with men
DURBAN, 12 November 2014 (aidsmap) – Almost half of the men who have sex with men in Durban are HIV infected and about a quarter of such men in Johannesburg and Cape Town have HIV, according to a Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) study that was released on Tuesday. Read more on: http://www.safaids.net/content/south-africa-hiv-infection-highest-among-men-who-have-sex-men
Indian women die, seriously injured, after mass sterilization drive
INDIA’S drive to limit population growth by offering free sterilization surgeries left at least eight women dead and 20 others seriously ill Wednesday, highlighting the risks women face in reproductive health in a country struggling with high rates of poverty. Read more on: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/indian-women-die-seriously-injured-after-mass-sterilisation-drive/story-fnixwvgh-1227121703322