This document explains what it means to be a person living with HIV and how it is different now than it was 25 years ago. The key points include:
- Sexual expression and the desire for parenthood are central to the lives of most people. Acknowledging these aspirations is essential to vindicating the human rights of people living with HIV
- Meeting the sexual health needs of HIV-positive people is essential to global HIV prevention efforts.
- Efforts to provide sexual and reproductive health services to HIV-positive people are impeded worldwide by weak and frag- mented health systems and by sexual taboos, gender inequality, and HIV stigma and discrimination.
- Effective HIV programming demands taking advantage of the perspectives, expertise and accumulated experiences of people living with HIV