As UNAIDS has acknowledged in its 2009 ‘Disability and HIV Policy Brief’, persons with disabilities are at equal or higher risk of HIV infection than the rest of the community for several reasons: poor access to information on sexual and reproductive health and HIV&AIDS; poor access to health care, including HIV&AIDS services; poverty and marginalisation; and high rates of sexual abuse and exploitation. Despite these increased risk factors, persons with disabilities are hardly being included in HIV and AIDS policies and programmes, because it is assumed that they are not at risk of HIV infection.

This document has been produced with the assistance of the European Union as part of the project ‘Making Development Inclusive’.

Read IDDC Policy Briefing on HIV & AIDS and Disability (in English)

Read IDDC Policy Briefing on HIV & AIDS and Disability (in French)