© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-2928/Nesbitt
It is estimated that if the unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV was addressed in the 22 countries with the highest burden of HIV, there would be 61,000 fewer children with HIV in 2015 alone.99 Rights-based, non-coercive family planning for women living with HIV needs to become more widely available, particularly through
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TOWARDS AN AIDS-FREE GENERATION – Children and AIDS: Sixth Stocktaking Report, 2013
The target of halving new HIV infections among women of reproductive age is integral to the overall goal of eliminating new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive.
under-utilized entry points, such as maternal and child health and sexual and reproductive health services, in addition to primary health-care services.
10. A ddress stigma and discrimination, including through strong community engagement Women living with HIV may face a complex mix of stigma and gender-based inequities, including judgemental attitudes among health-care providers. The challenges may be even greater for young
Comprehensive HIV prevention and family planning for women and girls It has been estimated that deploying comprehensive PMTCT could avert nearly 80 per cent of child HIV infections by 2015 in 25 high HIV burden countries.100 Effective delivery of ARVs to pregnant women living with HIV would account for 60 per cent of averted infections among their infants. Reducing new HIV infections in women of reproductive age and responding to unmet need for family planning would account for 13 per cent, while another 6 per cent would be attributable to limiting the duration of breastfeeding to 12 months.101 Couples testing and counselling is also an important intervention for strengthening HIV prevention, including by making ART available to sero-discordant couples (in which one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not). In 2013, WHO recommended offering ART to all people living with HIV in sero-discordant relationships. Studies suggest that providing HIV testing and counselling for both partners together can result in reduced new infections among such couples.102 In some locations in Rwanda, rates of HIV testing of male partners during antenatal care are now over 80 per cent.103
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