Sexual rights
The division between risk and vulnerability in many HIV prevention strategies does not match lived experiences: most people face a mixture of individual risk and structural vulnerabilities. Moreover, the risk paradigm downplays structural constraints, while the vulnerability paradigm downplays individual agency.
A rights-based approach, focusing on sexual rights and pleasure, could provide one way of addressing both risk and vulnerability, and provide a stronger basis for HIV prevention strategies. Rights based approaches can orient programmes and policies to support people's mobilisation against the structures that deny them their rights. Moreover, where risks may be motivated in part by pleasure seeking, safe sex strategies could use pleasure seeking and endorse the right to pleasure as a means to motivate safer behaviour.
Hierarchies of priorities vary and for many, access to health services and information, safety and security, and not pleasure, may be their main concern. Moreover, focusing on pleasure can be problematic, as it could be seen to privilege individual rights over collective rights. Pleasure is a relevant and motivating factor in many cases and it needs to be addressed. Ultimately, using positive health messages may be more effective, although the challenge will be to implement and assess the success of these messages. Although this is only one of many rights-based approaches to HIV and AIDS, the inability to access health services and information is a violation of rights.
A rights-based approach, focusing on sexual rights and pleasure, could provide one way of addressing both risk and vulnerability, and provide a stronger basis for HIV prevention strategies. Rights based approaches can orient programmes and policies to support people's mobilisation against the structures that deny them their rights. Moreover, where risks may be motivated in part by pleasure seeking, safe sex strategies could use pleasure seeking and endorse the right to pleasure as a means to motivate safer behaviour.
Hierarchies of priorities vary and for many, access to health services and information, safety and security, and not pleasure, may be their main concern. Moreover, focusing on pleasure can be problematic, as it could be seen to privilege individual rights over collective rights. Pleasure is a relevant and motivating factor in many cases and it needs to be addressed. Ultimately, using positive health messages may be more effective, although the challenge will be to implement and assess the success of these messages. Although this is only one of many rights-based approaches to HIV and AIDS, the inability to access health services and information is a violation of rights.
- Vulnerability, risk and sexual rights
- ( S. Jolly / Eldis HIV and AIDS Resource Guide , 2005)
- This think piece, prepared for a UNAIDS workshop on Vulnerability and AIDS, suggests how sexual rights and sexual pleasure could play a role in bridging the gaps in HIV strategies. The author outlines...
- The power of pleasure
- ( S. Jolly; S. Cornwall / Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, UK , 2004)
- This article, published by the Institute of Development Studies, explores the way that women's sexuality is represented in the context of development programmes and AIDS prevention. It claims that, a...
- Re-sexualising the epidemic
- ( J. Berger / Southern African Regional Poverty Network , 2004)
- Recommended reading
- This article, from Development Update, argues that there is a need to pay more attention to sex and desire in the design of HIV prevention programmes. The paper highlights how perceived "dirty" issu...
- Renewing our voice: code of good practice for NGOs responding to HIV/AIDS
- ( J Cabassi;D Wilson (ed) / Code of Good Practice for NGOs Responding to HIV/AIDS , 2004)
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HIV/AIDS is recognised as an unprecedented global development challenge. This code sets out a number of guiding principles which apply a human rights approach to the range of...
