BOX 3. HIV/AIDS AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS (CONT.) It is also relevant that family planning and contraceptive services focus on use of condoms. Both men and women must be educated in relation to the importance of condoms not only for the prevention of pregnancy, but also, and most importantly, as an efficient way to prevent the transmission of STIs and HIV. Additionally, it is important that married women are included in HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives along with other groups of women, who have often been marginalized by these kinds of initiatives, such as young single women, migrant and refugee women, injection drug users and women selling or trading sex for money and support. Special focus should be on female sex workers, as they often have high rates of STIs and are at high risk of violence. These infections and frequent unprotected sexual exposure put women in prostitution, their clients and other partners, and their clients’ partners all at high risk of acquiring HIV/STIs. Other groups that might be in high risk with respect to HIV/STIs are male homosexuals, especially in countries where the LGBT community is marginalized due to legislation, attitudes etc.; this should be taken into account when designing HIV/AIDS policies. Men in prostitution are also a group of risk. Pregnancy-related care – before, during and after delivery – is an obvious place to situate attention to HIV and AIDS testing and counselling, prevention and treatment services and information for both women and infants. It is crucial to invest in drugs that prevent vertical transmission (mother to child transmission). This has helped prevent the infection of many infants but there is still a lot to be done, such as addressing the issue in rural areas and investing in births assisted by a healthcare professional. Whereas preventing transmission of HIV/AIDS is naturally a key element of securing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of the population, it is also important to keep in mind the reproductive rights of persons who are already infected. Legislation and policies should be in place to secure that infected persons are not discriminated against, and infected persons should be secured access to all reproductive and sexual health care services. In countries where the state provides fertility services, such services should in general also be offered to persons infected with HIV/AIDS.24 24 See also, OHCHR and UNAIDS, Handbook on HIV and Human Rights for National Human Rights Institutions. (2007). 30