WUNRN
More
women than ever before are living with HIV around the world, and too many of
them suffer cruel reproductive
rights violations. The Center's newest fact-finding report, Dignity Denied: Violations of the Rights of HIV-Positive Women
in Chilean Health Facilities, reveals the extent of the
problem through the stories of 27 HIV-positive women in
Download Dignity Denied >
Methodology and Structure of the
Report
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Women, HIV, and Risk >
Francisca's Story: Forcibly Sterilized because of her HIV Status >
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Learn more about Francisca's case, F.S. v. Chile >
One
of them is Julia*, a 36-year-old HIV-positive woman from
To this day, she wonders what would have happened if she had received prompt medical attention. The mistreatment she suffered has also kept her away from seeking healthcare services. "I tolerate as much pain as I can, until I cannot tolerate it anymore," she told the Center.
HIV-Positive Women Denied Care and Sterilized without Their Consent
As our report makes clear, Chilean women living with HIV are routinely denied care, verbally abused, given misleading or inaccurate health information, and pressured to agree to sterilization—or sterilized without their consent. Of the sixteen women we interviewed who were sterilized, only four said that they made a fully informed and voluntary choice to have the procedure.
Their testimonies echo that of our client Francisca*, an HIV-positive Chilean woman who was sterilized without her consent during a Cesarean section. The Center and our Chilean partner Vivo Positivo filed a case on behalf of Francisca, F.S. v. Chile, at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in February 2009.
Report Challenges Impunity around Forced Sterilization of
HIV-Positive Women
Dignity Denied demonstrates that the abuse and mistreatment suffered by HIV-positive women such as Julia and Francisca are a violation of their human rights. Moreover, by establishing forced sterilization as a form of torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, the report will help us challenge the culture of impunity that perpetuates this intolerable practice.
"A
woman who has tested positive for HIV has just as much of a right as any other
woman to decide what's best for her health and her life, and to be treated with
respect and dignity," said Lilian Sepúlveda, international deputy
director and regional manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at the
Center. "
To
bring further attention to the issue, the Center will hold a hearing on the
rights of HIV-positive women in the
*The
names of the women have been changed to protect their confidentiality.