The Dual Crisis: HIV and Human Rights:

Journalism’s Role in the Fight Against Stigma and Discrimination

Richard Burzynski, UNAIDS

20th International AIDS Conference 2014Melbourne, Australia

21 July

Zero new HIV infections.Zero discrimination.Zero AIDS-related deaths.

“There will be no ending AIDS without putting people first.”

- Michel Sidibé

UNAIDS Gap Report 2014

• Young women• Pregnant women • Children• Prisoners• Injecting drug users• Person living with disabilities

• Migrants

• Displaced people• People over 50• Sex Workers• Transgender persons• Gay men and other men who

have sex with men

• Globally, an estimated 19% of transgender women are living with HIV.

• Globally, the chance of acquiring HIV is 49 times higher for transgender women than all adults of reproductive age.

• Estimates suggest that the transgender population could be between 0.1% and 1.1% of reproductive age adults.

UNAIDS Gap Report 2014

• Worldwide, gay men and other men who have sex with men are 19 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population.

• The median HIV prevalence among gay men and other men who have sex with men is 19% in western and central Africa and 13% in eastern and southern Africa.

• Gay men and other men who have sex with men often acquire HIV while quite young—HIV prevalence is about 4.2% for young (under 25 years) gay men and other men who have sex with men.

UNAIDS Gap Report 2014

• In 110 countries, HIV prevalence is on average twelve times higher among sex workers than for the general population (15–49 years), with prevalence at least 50-fold higher in four countries.

• Nigeria and Ghana, HIV prevalence among sex workers is 8-fold higher than for the rest of the population.

• HIV prevalence among male sex workers, reported from 27 countries, was 14%.

UNAIDS Gap Report 2014: Sex Workers

Why they are being left behind • Violence• Criminalization, stigma, discrimination,

and social exclusion• Poor access to HIV and other health

services• Inadequate investments

• Family rejection and violation of the right to education and employment

• Violence, criminalization, and transphobia• Lack of recognition of gender identity• Discrimination in health systems

How to close the GapRecognition of

rights and freedom from

violence

Better research and data

collection

Protective social and legal

environments, including

decriminalization

Access to quality, discrimination-

free health services

Strengthening community

systems and leadership