The Fourth Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights shall be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (8^th – 12^th February 2010).  This conference is part of a long-term process of building and fostering regional dialogue on sexual rights and health that leads to concrete action to influence policy particularly that of the African Union and its bodies.  This conference follows three previous conferences: February 4 – 7, 2008 in Abuja (Nigeria); June 19 – 21, 2006 in Nairobi (Kenya); February 25 – 29, 2004 in Johannesburg (South Africa).  It will focus on critical documents that have been developed to promote comprehensive sexual health and rights in Africa, including the Maputo Plan of Action and the ICPD. 

The Fourth Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights is being convened under the auspices of the Africa Federation for Sexual Health and Rights, the regional representative body of the World Association for Sexual Health, and hosted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation – Africa Regional Office in collaboration with Action Health Incorporated (AHI), Nigeria.

The purpose of the 4^th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights is to examine the interrelationship between sexuality and HIV & AIDS.  In particular, to open up discourse on sexuality in Africa and how this might lead to new insights in reducing the spread of HIV & AIDS in Africa.  The focus will be on identifying new and emerging vulnerabilities and vulnerable people using the concept of sexual rights and sexuality in the fight against HIV & AIDS; explore how the application of human rights framework to sexuality might provide new insights in developing interventions to reduce the spread of HIV & AIDS and map out new and innovative strategies, programming and funding best suited to deal with those most vulnerable to HIV & AIDS infection. 

The Conference will focus on critical issues like gender based violence including female genital mutilation, rape as a weapon of war etc, child marriages, masculinity, sexual orientation, gender equality and sexuality, sexuality of people living with HIV & AIDS – all factors that are critical to any interventions focusing on sexual health, rights and HIV & AIDS.  It will provide a framework of how sexuality and the application of sexual rights would lead to lead to openness, responsibility and choices for all people, and in particular for young people, on sex, sexuality and sexual behaviour.

The discourse on sexuality as a way of dealing with HIV & AIDS has become critical as a result of many factors.  HIV & AIDS is primarily transmitted through sexual relations in Africa, and much of those sexual relations in Africa are experienced through unequal, forced or coerced sex with inherent sexual/human rights abuses.  These are manifested in different ways, including the incestuous defilement and rape of young girls, trafficking of women and girls for sex slavery, child marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM) with the underlying assumption that women do not deserve or should not enjoy sex, wife inheritance and other forms of sexual based violence like mass rape of women and girls in conflict, and violence within stable relationships to coerce sex.  Within all these is the assumption of unequal sexual relationships and partnerships.

Another factor is the lack of understanding of masculinity and mixed messages given to young men and women about sexual behaviour – the supposedly ‘innate’ ability of men to know about sexuality and the expected reticence of young women in seeking information about sex and sexuality, making young people make unsafe sexual choices.    

These factors, coupled with a cultural reluctance to speak about sexuality, a natural phenomenon, especially with young people, continue to undermine effort not only to address sexual health and rights, but more importantly, HIV & AIDS which continues to take its toll on the Continent. 

The Conference is also aiming to shift the focus of prevention of HIV & AIDS which has often being negative – presenting sexual relations and sexuality as negative experiences that must be discouraged, to a more positive messaging about sexuality.  The emerging approach is to encourage looking at the positive side of sexuality, ensuring that sexual rights (right to privacy, right to choose, right to non discrimination, right to life/liberty and bodily integrity etc) are enshrined within SRH/HIV & AIDS interventions.  The Conference is also expected to affirm that sexuality is an integral part of all persons, with freedom to express that in any form without coercion, fear, harm or violations, with people able to make informed decisions about their sexuality, including their sexual relations that is responsible, and whether to connect sexual activity with reproduction or not. 

Focusing on sexual health and rights within HIV & AIDS interventions also entails the focusing on women’s sexual rights.  This is because sexual coercion is often a daily part of many women’s lives, and ideologies are often fought using women’s bodies as the battleground – forced marriages, female genital mutilation, rape as a weapon of war, lack of sexual health education or education generally, lack of choice to safe and legal abortion etc. 

Next: Conference Objectives