At Risk: Rights Violations of HIV-Positive Women in Kenyan Health Facilities

Women living with HIV in Kenya who seek medical care suffer multiple human rights violations and encounter daunting barriers to quality healthcare. The Center will highlight findings from its new report At Risk: Rights Violations of HIV-Positive Women in Kenyan Health Facilities on March 4, during this year’s meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

The report, a joint effort by the Federation of Women Lawyers—Kenya and the Center, vividly illustrates the failure of the Kenyan government to care for women living with HIV. At healthcare centers across Kenya, these women encounter physical and verbal abuse and are subject to discriminatory standards of care. They often cannot access antiretroviral treatment and their rights to informed consent and confidentiality are frequently violated during HIV testing and treatment. Both the Federation of Women Lawyers—Kenya and the Center for Reproductive Rights call on the Kenyan government to implement systemic changes to ensure that HIV-positive women can fully exercise their right to affordable, accessible, and safe health services.