Dignity Denied: Violation of Rights of HIV Positive Women in Chilean Health Facilities Center for Reproductive Rights (2010) Accessed April 15, 2015

Pregnant women who are not HIV positive enjoy a stigma free pregnancy, cared for by her community and healthcare workers. Women who are HIV-positive are often treated poorly and valued less because their ability to have children is where their value is held.

Women who are HIV Positive are sterilized to prevent the births of HIV positive children. This report outlines many factors that contribute to the multiple risks that women in Chile face due to structural barriers in cultural and social undercurrents that contribute to marginalization and violence against women. Structural limitations in assistance in medical facilities and social stigmatization add to delays in healthcare for both the mother and fetus. Interventive care to prevent the spread of the virus to the child is denied outright and women are left without the dignity to voice their wants for their own bodies and lives.

Discriminatory actions by healthcare providers and social stigma create a space which Chilean women who are HIV positive and their human rights are continuously violated. Recommendations as to solutions are provided in the report include prioritizing and protecting the rights of HIV positive women and allowing equal treatment towards these patients and the creation of strict confidentiality standards for such cases.

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