IPPF and Irresponsibility

By Contributor | August 11, 2011

As part of their “Girls Decide” series, IPPF distributed a brochure at this year’s United Nations High Level Meeting on Youth reminiscent of the “Healthy Happy and Hot” brochure distributed last year. “What Do I do if I am Living with HIV and…” is intended to instruct young women about how HIV affects (or doesn’t affect) their sexual life.

The brochure presents the issues of dating, relationships, sex, and pregnancy in the context of young girl’s “rights:” the right to free expression of sexual orientation, right to decide if and when to disclose HIV status, and the implied right to sexual pleasure and access to abortion.

The glaring dishonesty of presenting the aforementioned as “rights” when none of them have been recognized authoritatively by the international community is frustrating, but the flippant way they treat the possibility of HIV transmission is worse.

In answer to the question about how to prevent HIV transmission, the brochure encourages condoms as the “most effective method” of prevention. Young women should be prepared to offer condoms to a “new or casual partner,” and keep a stock of both male and female condoms, so they can be prepared and protected. Young women are also reminded that they have the right to decide if and when to disclose their HIV status to their partners.

Later, the topic of unplanned pregnancy comes up. The young girls are reminded that, “as they [condoms] are not 100% effective, it is recommended to use another form of contraception as well as a condom.” If that doesn’t work, the girls are told they always have recourse to termination of pregnancy.

Condom’s effectiveness is not brought up in the discussion of preventing HIV transmission, however, even though research does not indicate that condom use is significantly associated with reduction in HIV prevalence in generalized epidemics. IPPF’s presentation of condoms as a safe and sure way to have sexual pleasure without worrying about HIV is misleading. Furthermore, to do so while instructing girls that they need not disclose their HIV status to any of their partners is encouraging them to live a lifestyle of irresponsibility and disregard for the well-being of others.

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