420 J Health Popul Nutr Dec 2006 prevent HIV-positive people from adopting and, if so, whether these restrictions are reasonable. NGOs and government agencies entrusted with adoption pro- grammes should collaborate with associations of peo- ple living with HIV to discuss how programmes can ensure that HIV-positive people are not automatically disqualified as prospective adoptive parents. Adoption as a parenting option should be included in informa- tional materials on sexual and reproductive health for people affected by HIV. Associations of people living with HIV can also begin disseminating stories about successful adoptions through newsletters, websites, and conferences; cases from one country can serve as examples and inspiration for people in other countries. Expanded training for health professionals on occu- pational risks in conjunction with capacity-building on the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS: Such training should emphasize that it is a human right for healthcare providers to have sufficient supplies avail- able to observe universal precautions (e.g. gloves, dis- posable needles, sharps disposal boxes). Health systems must also make post-exposure prophylaxis (antiretrovi- ral drugs to prevent HIV infection) available to provid- ers. Training on the ethics of service provision to peo- ple living with HIV should incorporate HIV-positive women as paid facilitators who can lead dialogues on how attitudes affect treatment of clients and patients. HIV-positive women who have had treatment-literacy training can help explain the importance of patients be- ing partners with health professionals in implementa- tion of treatment. Dissemination of information on human-rights stand- ards in practical terms relevant to work and lives of HIV-positive women and care providers: It is impor- tant to inform people living with HIV and AIDS, service and healthcare providers, NGO staff, and policy-mak- ers about sexual and reproductive rights in the context of HIV/AIDS. A first step can involve widely dissemi- nating documents that identify and explain sexual and reproductive rights (52,72,73). Summaries in the form of brochures can be distributed through NGOs, waiting rooms of governmental agencies, voluntary counsel- ling and testing sites, hospitals, and clinics. To help people understand how these rights apply to their lives, however, dissemination of information is not enough. They need to understand which interna- tional rights treaties their government has ratified, how those rights can be claimed through laws and regulations (which requires lobbying lawmakers), and how they can bring forward complaints when rights are vio- lated. This can include instructions on how to lodge complaints with hospital and clinic directors or ethics Bruyn M committees, how to submit cases for follow-up with local human rights commissions and ombudsmen, and how to find lawyers who could take well-documented cases to court if necessary. Pressure can also be put on the government to speed up compliance with human- rights treaties by preparing shadow reports for interna- tional committees that monitor treaty compliance; such reports can come from individual citizens and NGOs. Information about these practical measures can be disseminated through articles in newsletters and jour- nals, through brochures and leaflets, and through ca- pacity-building sessions for both service providers and clients/patients. When people understand that there are concrete steps they can take regarding discrimina- tion and violations of rights, these rights can leave the realm of theory and enter into the reality of daily life. The findings that emerged from the literature revi- ews and pilot project show that much remains to be done to meet the comprehensive health needs and fulfill the reproductive rights of HIV-positive women. This includes devoting more research funds and human resources to investigating issues relating to reproduction, especially topics that are largely neglected or considered sensitive or contentious, such as termination of pregnancy and adoption. A basic premise underlying the piloted monitoring tool is that awareness of reproductive rights is essential for providing HIV-positive women with comprehen- sive healthcare. All countries in the United Nations have endorsed at least one international human-rights con- vention establishing a right to health and healthcare. Therefore, all UN Member States are obliged to respect, protect, and fulfill this right, including for women liv- ing with HIV and AIDS. If women living with, and affected by HIV and AIDS, can become better-informed advocates for those rights, they can hold their governments and non-state actors accountable for fulfilling their rights. The pilot project presented the staff of some partner organiza- tions with their first opportunity to engage in a simple re- search/data-collection exercise. Team members in Kenya said that they became more conscious of the impor- tance of the assessed issues: “It is evident that…we need to lobby and advocate for better policies on issues pertaining to sexual [and] reproductive health.” PECAC commented that their project was the first to focus on the study topics in their locality, and they used the find- ings to obtain funding for concrete community action projects. Respondents also found the pilot project to be a valuable exercise; some even commented that their participation motivated them to begin researching the