6th Regional Conference in Sarajevo, May 17-18 2012.

1. Sixth Regional Conference on HIV and
AIDS
17-18, May, 2012
HUMAN RIGHTS AND HIV
SKENDER FIFO
alga22@hotmail.com

2. Criminalization and human rights
violations towards MSM
population in Albania.

3. Men who have sex with men
(MSM)
 Although there is stigmatized in Albania a gay community that
is trying to organize.
 A low level of condom use among men who have sex with
men
 Lack of knowledge and to practice safer sexual behaviors
associated with a lack of friendly services for men who have
sex with men.
 MSM have difficulty providing appropriate condoms for anal
sex and lubricants.
 Stigma and discrimination often constitute an obstacle to the
community to use existing services or organizing.
 Sex work has served as a survival tool for many Albanian men
who have emigrated.

4. Antidiscrimination Law
 IMPORTANCE:
Diversity and nondiscrimination are fundamental elements of a modern
society, and the development of a democratic legal system can not
be thought without a law prohibiting all forms of discrimination. In all
international and regional documents governing the protection of
human rights, now includes provisions for the prohibition of
discrimination.
Law Against Discrimination was a necessary first step towards creating a
legal framework for combating discrimination in all spheres of public
life, and towards ending the phenomenon of unequal treatment of
individuals in society.
This law will fill the institutional vacuum to ensure equal rights to everyone
regardless of the reason for some of the groups that are easily
distinguishable from the others and I put in an inferior position
because they have something different from what was labeled as
normal.

5. SITUATION:
 In Albania, the awareness of society regarding the
principle of discrimination and the fight against it is
still very low.
 All reports on the situation of human rights, in
particular those dealing with groups of so-called
"vulnerable" people such as minority communities,
persons with disabilities, women, children, people of
color, etc.. , make a great word for discrimination of
these categories of people, indicating the presence
of such practices in all spheres of public life.

6. Adoption of the Law Against
Discrimination
 As a key measure in combating all
forms of discrimination
 As a defense mechanism to guarantee
human rights and that makes these
groups less exposed to this type of
reaction and aggression of institutions
and the community at large.

7. Important factors:
In Albania:
 Awareness of society regarding the principle of
discrimination and the fight against it is still very
low.
 All reports on the situation of human rights, in
particular those dealing with groups of so-called
"vulnerable" people such as minority communities,
persons with disabilities, women, children, people of
color, etc.. , make a great word for discrimination of
these categories of people, indicating the presence
of such practices in all spheres of public life
 Sexual minority devijacione considered and
regarded as a moral crime

8. Effects of different forms of
stigma can lead to:
 Discrimination
 Violation of basic human rights
 Exclusion or denial
 Violence
 Difficulty in accessing services
 Isolation
 Compulsory testing for HIV

9. Discriminatory practices in
health care centers
 Going public status of the patient
 Mandatory Testing
 The result Advertising
 Isolation of patients
 Placing gloves during noclinical raids
 Denial of care etc.

10. MSM and their male and
female partners;
Challenges:
 Low condom use
 Number of male and female partners
 Inadequate STI and HIV screening
and treatment procedures,
mechanisms, and facilities
 Drug taking and consequential
needle sharing.

11. Obstacles to expanding the
national response
 Inadequate data on the scale and location of the
HIV and STI problem makes planning for and
providing strategic and adequate services for
MSM extremely difficult.
 Inadequate and under-funded national prevention,
treatment and care programs, and lack of
integration of existing health programs results in
ineffective services and awareness, especially for
MSM
 Legal status of CSWs means that it is very difficult
to provide meaningful outreach, social, and health
services to this large at risk group.

12. …
 Health systems which discourage many at risk
groups from attending primary health care services
and obtaining appropriate treatment and very poor
referral systems to HIV and STI diagnostic services.
 Inadequate HIV and STI testing and treatment
facilities which means that people do not know their
HIV status and, as a result, carry on with prior
behaviour. Additionally, STIs may not be detected
or inadequately treated leaving people more
vulnerable to HIV infection.
 Inability to track and monitor migrants means that
many people who could be affected go undetected

13.  THANK YOU!