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V. Recommendations to Governments and International Donors

Human Rights Watch calls on all governments, donors to HIV/AIDS programs, and relevant United Nations bodies to take the following broad steps to guarantee access to condoms and HIV/AIDS information.  Human Rights Watch recommends that the Holy See consider retracting scientifically unfounded information it has disseminated about condoms and further consider ceasing its opposition to references to condoms and to comprehensive HIV prevention in U.N. documents and declarations.

Governments, donors and multilateral organizations should:

Lift restrictions on access to condoms and complete HIV/AIDS information

Repeal any law or policy that restricts the promotion or distribution of condoms in public facilities and all laws and policies that support censorship of complete and accurate information about condoms and HIV prevention.  Review the content of government-issued HIV/AIDS education materials, including school curricula, to ensure that they include comprehensive and age-appropriate information about condoms and safer sex.  Ensure that accurate information about condoms delivered through mass media is protected from censorship.

Publicly counter misinformation about condom safety and efficacy

Issue clear statements setting out the effectiveness of condoms against HIV/AIDS and clear instructions for their correct and consistent use.  Publicly counter false or misleading statements about the effectiveness of condoms against HIV.  Withhold public funds from organizations that make false or misleading statements about condoms.  Support programs that guarantee comprehensive information about HIV prevention, including information about the effectiveness of condoms.

Take steps to expand HIV prevention services that include condoms  

Work with relevant government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and social marketing groups to ensure adequate supply of condoms in health facilities and in commercial outlets.  Develop and implement comprehensive HIV/AIDS education programs that explicitly recognize the effectiveness of condoms against HIV.  Withhold public funds from programs that give emphasis to abstinence and fidelity at the expense of condom information and services.

Take steps to enable and empower vulnerable populations to use condoms against HIV 

Support efforts to distribute condoms and complete HIV/AIDS information to persons traditionally at high risk of HIV, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, and prisoners.  Cease police practices that interfere with the use of condoms for HIV prevention in these populations, such as using possession of condoms as evidence to arrest and prosecute sex workers and men who have sex with men.  Address factors, including gender-based violence, that make it difficult for women, sex workers, and other vulnerable groups to insist on condom use with their sex partners.