Women living with HIV and AIDS: Right to prevention, treatment, and health care

published online 19 June 2009.

Abstract

Women living with HIV/AIDS not only bear the burden of this pandemic in under-resourced countries, but are faced with the human rights issues concerning the management of their condition, not only for their own health, but also for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the virus and infertility investigation. This article tackles the issues of reproductive health rights pertaining to prevention of HIV, and rights regarding HIV testing including the ethical dilemmas associated with “opt in,” “opt out,” and mandatory testing. Accountability, rights to treatment and travel, and employment issues are also discussed.

Keywords: Prevention, Treatment, HIV/AIDS, Right to health, Women

a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Grey's Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

b Women's Health and HIV Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Corresponding author. Women's Health and HIV Research Group, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Private Bag 7, Congella, 4013, South Africa. Tel./fax: +27 31 2604241.

PII: S0020-7292(09)00146-5

doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.03.026

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