confirm that the relationship between HIV

Since the drafting of the Guidelines, the epidemic continues to confirm that the relationship between HIV and human rights is profound. Vulnerability to HIV infection and to its impact feeds on violations of human rights, including discrimination against women and violations which create and sustain poverty. In turn, HIV begets human rights violations, such as further discrimination, and violence. During the decade, the role of human rights in responding to the epidemic and in dealing with its effects has become evermore clear. The international human rights system explicitly recognized HIV status as a prohibited ground of discrimination. At the same time, the impact of HIV highlighted the inequities and vulnerabilities leading to increased rates of infection among women, children, the poor and marginalized groups, and thereby contributed to a renewed focus on economic, social and cultural rights. In this regard, the content of the right to health has been increasingly defined and now explicitly includes the availability and accessibility of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for children and adults. Either through legislation or litigation, many countries have recognized that their people have the right to HIV treatment as a part of their human rights, confirming that economic, social and cultural rights are justiciable. HIV has brought to the fore the difficult issues surrounding the human rights of those engaged in illegal activities; and importantly HIV has hammered home the importance of the right to participation of those most affected by the epidemic - people living with HIV and those highly vulnerable to infection. Developments such as these have strengthened the principles of the indivisibility and universality of human rights.