A/HRC/32/32 high-HIV burden countries are particularly vulnerable, making up 75 per cent of new infections in Africa in 2013,65 with gender inequality, harmful traditional practices and punitive age of consent laws identified as drivers of the epidemic. 66 These sectors and groups face a disproportionately high risk of experiencing stigma, discrimination, violence, rejection by families, criminalization and other human rights violations when seeking sexual and reproductive health services, including denial of access to health-care services, such as HIV testing, counselling and treatment. 88. Rights to sexual and reproductive health are therefore of critical importance. Sexual health is defined as a “state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related to sexuality, not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity”.67 Article 24 (2) (f) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and article 12 (2) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women both recognize the right to the provision of family planning education and services, including to adolescents, without discrimination on any grounds.68 However, United Nations treaty bodies consistently raise concerns relating to the provision of sexual and reproductive health information, services and goods. They have also strongly affirmed that adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health implicates a broad range of human rights, including to non-discrimination, freedom from torture or ill-treatment, privacy and education. 69 B. Providing effective sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents 89. Given the scale of these concerns, target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, on ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, is welcome. To achieve this target, States will have to adopt a comprehensive gender-sensitive and nondiscriminatory sexual and reproductive health policy for all adolescents and to integrate it into national strategies and programmes. 70 90. These policies must be consistent with the human rights standards and recognize that unequal access by adolescents constitutes discrimination. 71 All adolescents must be guaranteed access to confidential, adolescent-responsive and non-discriminatory sexual and reproductive health information, services and goods, including family planning, modern forms of contraception, counselling, pre-conception care, maternal care, sexually transmitted infections, diagnosis and treatment, and safe abortion.72 Adolescent sexual and reproductive health services must be welcoming, adolescent-friendly, non-judgemental and guarantee privacy and confidentiality. Health providers should also consider the establishment of dedicated clinic times and alternative locations for adolescents, particularly with regard to sexual and reproductive health services. 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 18 UNAIDS and the African Union, Empower Young Women and Adolescent Girls: Fast-Tracking the End of the AIDS Epidemic in Africa (2015). E/CN.4/2005/72. Paul Hunt and Judith Bueno de Mesquita, The Rights to Sexual and Reproductive Health (2006). Committee on the Rights of the Child general comment No. 15. KL v. Peru, CCPR/C/DJI/CO/1 and CAT/C/PER/CO/4. WHO, Ensuring Human Rights in the Provision of Contraceptive Information and Services: Guidance and Recommendations (2014). Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights general comment No. 20 (2009) on nondiscrimination in economic, social and cultural rights. Committee on the Rights of the Child general comments No. 4 and No. 15.