The Constitutional Tribunal of Peru has taken positive steps to improve the sexual and reproductive rights of young people in the country by removing the clause criminalising sexual relations among them. This measure follows international pressure from UNAIDS and UNFPA. The current penal code prohibits young people aged between 14 and 18 to have consensual sex or they can be sentensed up to 30 years in prison! This provision has also prevented young people from being able to access the sexual and reproductive health education. Obviously there is a gap between this law and reality which is: big number of people start having sex before age of 18, and, as the recent nationwide survey revealed- more than 12% of young girls have been pregnant more that once. Also, of the 74,000 people living with HIV in Peru, it is estimated that approximately half became infected before they were 20. Therefore, amandment comes at a crucial time, to enable young to have a greater access to information on STIs, HIV and pregnancy, which is for of vital importance for future healthy generations in this country.
Read more:
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2013/february/20130212peru/