A/HRC/32/32
91.
Furthermore, States should introduce measures to raise adolescents’ awareness of
their rights to sexual and reproductive health and to services and goods at the family, school
and community levels. Age-appropriate, comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education,
based on scientific evidence and human rights, should be part of the mandatory school
curriculum, with special attention given to relationships, sexuality, gender equality and
identity and sex characteristics, including non-conforming gender identities, responsible
parenthood and sexual behaviour, and preventing early pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections.73
92.
States are strongly encouraged to decriminalize abortion, in accordance with
international human rights norms, and adopt measures to ensure access to legal and safe
abortion services. Criminal laws with respect to abortion result in a high number of deaths,
poor mental and physical health outcomes, infringement of dignity and amount to violations
of the obligations of States to guarantee the right to health of adolescent girls. 74
Furthermore, information about and access to abortion services must be available,
accessible and of good quality, without discrimination, at a minimum in the following
circumstances: when the life or health of the mother is at risk, when the mother is the
victim of rape or incest and if there is severe and fatal foetal impairment. Post-abortion care
must be available and accessible to all adolescent girls irrespective of the legal status of
abortion.
93.
Prevention, care, treatment and support are mutually reinforcing elements in
providing a comprehensive and effective response to HIV/AIDS.75 All adolescents should
have access to HIV testing and counselling, and evidence-based HIV prevention and
treatment programmes. Health services should offer HIV-related information, testing,
sexual and reproductive health services, contraception, condoms and HIV-related care and
treatment, including antiretroviral and other medicines, diagnostics and related technologies
for the care of HIV/AIDS, related opportunistic infections and other conditions, good
nutrition and social, spiritual and psychological support, as well as family, community and
home-based care.
94.
The Special Rapporteur deplores the imposition of treatments to try to change sexual
orientation and gender identity, including forced sex assignment surgeries for intersex
youth, forced sterilizations and abortions for girls with disabilities, the use of surgery and
hormone therapy to stunt the growth of children with developmental disabilities and
remove their reproductive organs, and the pathologizing of transgender identity and samesex attraction as psychiatric disorders. States should eliminate such practices and to repeal
all laws criminalizing or otherwise discriminating against individuals on the basis of their
sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.76 There is a need to reform and update
national health information systems to include human rights concepts and variables such as
lesbian, gay, bisexual and intersex status.77
73
74
75
76
77
General Assembly resolution 70/137 and UNESCO, International Technical Guidance on Sexuality
Education (2009).
A/66/254 and A/HRC/32/44.
Committee on the Rights of the Child general comment No. 3 (2003) on HIV/AIDS and the rights of
the child.
See A/HRC/22/53; CRC/C/RUS/CO/4-5; CRC/C/GAM/CO/2-3, paras. 29-30; and
CRC/C/CHE/CO/2-4, paras. 42-43.
Pan American Health Organization resolutions CD50.R8 and CD52.R6.
19
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