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The Fight for Reproductive Rights Continues    Today, we recognize the steadfast advocates for people’s rights, particularly reproductive rights, who showed up to vote in the U.S. elections, exercising their power to affirm bodily autonomy and defend freedom. In Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York, voters upheld reproductive freedom. Their votes are a testament to an enduring commitment to safeguarding reproductive rights and personal agency over one's body, life, and future.  We also commend the tremendous work of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, our dedicated Member Association in the U.S., whose tireless campaigning has highlighted what was at stake in this pivotal election. Their unwavering advocacy has empowered countless individuals to protect and advance our shared values.  We know this is a moment to be concerned. The outcome of this election deals a heavy blow to the Sexual and Reproductive Rights Movement. IPPF anticipates significant setbacks, including funding reductions and workforce cuts impacting SRHR defenders globally. This election result is devastating for the millions who will rely on sexual and reproductive health care over the coming years and beyond.  But it is exactly because of this that we need to be stronger than ever: many more people will need us. Therefore, let’s assure the world that IPPF Member Associations and Collaborative Partners across the Americas and the Caribbean remain resolute in our mission to ensure comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   Let there be no doubt: we will continue the fight for our right to make autonomous decisions about our reproductive lives, to live our sexuality freely, and to access inclusive health services that meet the diverse needs of our communities, whether in contraception, fertility, transgender care, HIV prevention and care, or beyond. And we will continue to strengthen our alliances with progressive social movements around the region and the globe.    In this critical moment, we call on all governments, donors, and international agencies to step up in the face of the upcoming assaults on human rights that will come with the Trump administration, because activists, communities, and civil society organizations are on the frontlines but should not fight these battles alone.  This is an election that particularly affects the Latin American and Caribbean region. We are part of the Green Wave, and we won’t give up. Therefore, it is time to intensify efforts and demand fully funded social movements, including sustained funding for our SRHR champions and their unwavering efforts to counter the ongoing attacks on rights in the field.   Now more than ever, it is imperative to support those defending bodily autonomy and freedom, ensuring they have the resources and backing required to resist, persist, and advance the rights of all people.    We will not be deterred. Our commitment to the millions of people we assist and support, communities, and allies stands firm. Together, we will continue to resist and build a world where everyone can live free from violence and fully exercise their right to shape their present and future.    Image credit: BBC

All LGBTQI+ people in Peru and in the Americas and the Caribbean have the right to lives free from violence! In recent months, IPPF ACRO Member Associations, Collaborating Partners and the IPPF ACRO Secretariat have witnessed how some governments in the Americas and the Caribbean, even some that have historically acted to protect and advance human rights, have become the main opponents of people's rights, freedom and self-determination. So, after writing about our concerns about the new Argentinean government, today, on the International Day Against LGBTIQ+-Phobia, we want to demonstrate our strong concern with the actions of the government of Peru, which undermine the fundamental rights of LGBTIQ+ people. The IPPF Americas and Caribbean Regional Office joins INPPARES, Member Association in Peru, in expressing its rejection of the Supreme Decree Nº 009-2024-SA issued last May 10th by the Peruvian Ministry of Health which, by updating the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) based on the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), violates the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people.   Some context: The PEAS contains the list of interventions that can be addressed by health insurers in Peru, so it is vitally important that it is kept up to date with the guidelines and standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). From time to time, the WHO revises its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) to update it based on recent scientific evidence and thus adequately guide global clinical practice. Recall that in 2019, the 11th revision of the ICD made history by removing trans identities and expressions from the chapter on ‘Mental and Behavioural Disorders’. However, last week, the government of Peru decided to use an outdated revision of the ICD, which pathologises sexual orientation and gender identity. This decision of the Peruvian government to use ICD-10 is very serious, as it violates binding codes and agreements at local, regional and international level. On the one hand, it violates the constitutional right to health established in articles 7 and 9 of the Political Constitution of Peru, which establishes the right to health on the basis of equality and non-discrimination. Furthermore, it disregards the information, guidelines and standards of the WHO, the United Nations specialised health agency, and the requests of the Office of the UN High Commissioner since 2015 to stop the pathologisation of LGBTIQ+ people, in particular trans and intersex people. It also goes against commitments adopted by Peru in numerous regional and international declarations, such as the Montevideo Consensus, whose implementation and follow-up was officially adopted in 2016 by Supreme Decree N° 051-2016-PCM. Today, it is necessary to reaffirm that LGBTIQ+ people have the right to live free from violence, to live their gender identity and sexual orientation freely, to access health and reproductive services where their identities are respected and their specific needs are met. It is the responsibility of governments to ensure that these rights are fulfilled.