title: Adolescents and the right to health: eliminating age-related barriers to HIV/AIDS services in Rwanda.
abstract: Under international, regional, and domestic law, adolescents are entitled to measures ensuring the highest attainable standard of health. For HIV/AIDS, this is essential as adolescents lack many social and economic protections and are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of the disease. In many countries, legal protections do not always ensure access to health care for adolescents, including for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. Using Rwanda as an example, this article identifies gaps, policy barriers, and inconsistencies in legal protection that can create age-related barriers to HIV/AIDS services and care. One of the most pressing challenges is defining an age of majority for access to prevention measures, such as condoms, testing and treatment, and social support. Occasionally drawing on examples of existing and proposed laws in other African countries, Rwanda and other countries may strengthen their commitment to adolescents' rights and eliminate barriers to prevention, family planning, testing and disclosure, treatment, and support. Among the improvements, Rwanda and other countries must align its age of consent with the actual behavior of adolescents and ensure privacy to adolescents regarding family planning, HIV testing, disclosure, care, and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Binagwaho
authors.forename: Arlan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kerry
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.forename: Mawuena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agbonyitor
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Rodrigue
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nzayizera
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farmer
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002648:Child; D002944:Circumcision, Male; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003267:Contraception / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012432:Rwanda / Q000453:epidemiology; D012725:Sexual Behavior