You can download the powerpoint presentation from http://www.gnpplus.net

1. ‘POSITIVE PREVENTION’
by and for
people living with HIV
Philippa Lawson, Futures Group International
plawson@futuresgroup.com

2. Positive Prevention
PLHIV ask –
What does that mean?

3. Develop PLHIV Own Definition
• Why should you/I care about positive
prevention?
• What is positive prevention to you?
• What is the difference btw prevention and
positive prevention?
• How does it work in your life?
488+ in-person consultations,
+ 390 e-consultations,
+ 13 working group,
estimated 300 Living Summit

4. Define & Own by PLHIV:
Deliverables for Living Summit
• Draft PLHIV and Positive Prevention
– Background, policy & advocacy document
• Draft Call to Action
– 2 pager advocacy brief on practical steps for
global, regional, national and local level
• Draft Positive Prevention in Action
– Case Studies of PLHIV practicing PP

5. What we know:
Prevention for PLHIV To Date
• Most effective is comprehensive approach:
prevention, treatment, care and support
• PLHIV always been at forefront of
prevention programs, both + and - people
• Prevention for PLHIV practiced in
countries since the 1980s
• “Positive prevention” name began in late
1990s, early 2000s

6. What PLHIV know
People who know their + status
were not involved with
decisions to define positive prevention
and related to policy and
programmatic design,
implementation, M & E, funding and
research

7. What we know:
PLHIV Not Involved
• An overemphasis on HIV testing rather
than on the needs of people who already
know their status, and
• A focus on preventing HIV transmission
rather than on preventive health services
for people living with HIV.

8. What we know:
Prevention Works
• PPTCT (PMTCT)
• Male and female condoms
• Harm reduction
– medication assisted therapy
• ARV treatment prevents 2 million orphans
• Must link to treatment, care & support
• Preventing tuberculosis is key
• Washing Hands!

9. What we know:
“Prevention for PLHIV”
• Majority who have HIV do not know their status
• Majority of transmission is by those do not know
• Emphasis on HIV testing
• Emphasis on PPTCT & sexual transmission; not
on preventive health services for PLHIV
• Criminalization of HIV exposure & transmission
• Little attention to alcohol and drug use
• Food security, education, income impact power
and behavior of PLHIV
• Empowered PLHIV provided with support,
information & tools do protect themselves & others

10. What we do not know
• To what extent does being on antiretroviral therapy
protect against HIV transmission?
– What about non-progressors, no viral load & no ARVs?
• What are the real risks to an HIV-positive person of
being infected with another strain of the virus?
• What role will new prevention technologies play in
promoting the health of people living with HIV?

11. We agree:
Mexico PLHIV Definition
• Shared responsibility
• #1 priority - maintain & improve our own
health
– Preventing new infections or illnesses in our self
– Taking care of self, eating well, exercise, dental…
• PLHIV are best providers for PP
• Others can provide services, support, info

12. PRIORITY FOR PLHIV
SHARED RESPONSIBILITY!!

13. Positive Prevention
Key Messages
1. A human rights approach combating stigma and
discrimination is essential to the success
2. Requires addressing social vulnerabilities
– poverty, food security, gender-based violence,
xenophobia & homophobia
3. Centered on promoting health “atencion integral”
4. Will also reduce HIV transmission, yet is not
exclusively about preventing HIV
5. Linked with access to treatment, care & support
6. Everyone has a role to play

14. What we don’t agree
• The name – “Positive Prevention” (PP) – is it
offensive?
• Is Positive Prevention is only by and for PLHIV?
• Positive prevention is different than prevention
so is our definition only for people who know
their HIV positive status?
• How can people who know their positive status
get more involved and define the political
agenda for positive prevention?
• HIV transmission: Should it be included? If so
how much to focus?

15. SHUKRAN MERCI СПАСИБО
ASANTI GRACIAS THANK YOU!!
• Robert
• Tita
• Evan
• Yolanda
• Beverly
• Kate
• Rodrigo
• Anandi
• Claudio
• Jennifer
• Rita
• Beri
• Dorothy
• Elizabeth
• Terry
• Olive
• Ugo, Billy, Karen…USAID
• USAID| Health Policy Initiative
• Ken, Cynthia… Futures Group
• GNP+
• ICW
• And many others