BOX 3. HIV/AIDS AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS HIV and AIDS are critical aspects of the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenge, and access to quality sexual and reproductive healthcare services is crucial for women and men living with HIV and AIDS. Sexual and reproductive health services are also vital for prevention of new HIV infections. Some 80% of HIV cases globally are transmitted sexually and a further 10% are transmitted during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or through breast-feeding. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programmes can make an important contribution to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and SRH services are important for those living with HIV and AIDS.23 The following measures should be taken for HIV and AIDS prevention: • Voluntary counselling and testing for HIV should be available; • Sexual behaviour should be influenced through education on risk reduction strategies and provision of the skills and means to negotiate and practice safer sex; • Comprehensive sexuality education should cover adolescents in and out of school settings, with a particular focus on addressing the information needs of adolescent girls who often carry the burden of new transmissions and deaths; • Male and female condoms for both family planning and prophylactic reasons should be provided; • Family planning, antenatal, delivery and post-partum care and STI services should be expanded; • Condoms should be promoted as a primary form of protection and the importance of dual protection to avoid unwanted pregnancy and STIs should be stressed; • Anti-retroviral drugs (HIV medicine), on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, should be made available to persons infected with HIV. 23 Berer, Marge. “HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health: intersections and implications for national programmes”, Health Policy and Planning 19, Suppl. 1, (Oxford University Press, 2004). 29