November 4, 6, and 10, 2026
via HIV Justice Network and ICW
Some of you may be aware that HIV Justice Network (HJN) has been leading the development of an expert consensus statement confirming that there is no medical or scientific justification for coercing or punishing the infant feeding decisions of people living with HIV.
Now we – HJN, the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW), with support from The Well Project, Eurasian Women's Network on AIDS (EWNA), the Canadian Legal Network( CLN) and ICW Latina – are inviting you to join this international, cross-sector consultation process to helps shape the consensus statement. We invite community advocates; healthcare providers; legal practitioners; researchers; women across the gender spectrum and gender-diverse people living with HIV; and others interested in advancing reproductive justice for people living with HIV to participate.
Three consultation times are available to accommodate different regions, with Wordly virtual translation provided.
More information is below the pictures! Use the QR codes or the links below to select your preferred date and time and register.
Option 1 – Wednesday, November 4, 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mQnBMHSDS_6ekMQhu60VwQ
11 AM EST / 1 PM Buenos Aires / 6 PM South Africa / 6 PM Ukraine / 7 PM MENA (Jordan) / 9 PM Kazakhstan / 11 PM Indonesia (Jakarta)
Option 2 – Friday, November 6, 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tXu6iUGDQrSNVnZYHmX2YQ
8 AM EST / 10 AM Buenos Aires / 3 PM South Africa / 3 PM Ukraine / 4 PM MENA (Jordan) / 6 PM Kazakhstan / 8 PM Indonesia (Jakarta)
Option 3 – Tuesday, November 10, 2026
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZhAkBATdS7-NXsa2jg06Jg
7 AM EST / 9 AM Buenos Aires / 2 PM South Africa / 2 PM Ukraine / 3 PM MENA (Jordan) / 5 PM Kazakhstan / 7 PM Indonesia (Jakarta)
Please double check your timezone.
BACKGROUND
Around the world, parents living with HIV face stigma, surveillance, punishment, threats of child removal, and other forms of criminalization as a result of their infant feeding choices. We believe these punitive responses are unjust and unjustified. They raise fundamental questions of bodily autonomy, reproductive justice, dignity, and human rights.
Throughout the world, medical guidelines regarding infant feeding remain inconsistent, and people living with HIV are too often denied the information and support needed to make the best decisions for their families. For this reason, increasing numbers of healthcare providers, community members, advocates, and services providers are demanding change. Importantly, a group of internationally recognized HIV experts will soon be releasing a consensus statement confirming that there is no medical or scientific justification to coerce or punish the infant feeding decisions of people living with HIV.
This consultation will create space for people with lived experience and HIV justice advocates to coordinate their activities and mobilize around the recognition that Breastfeeding is not a Crime! The outcomes of the consultation will help shape the expert consensus statement on infant feeding in the context of HIV criminalization, as well as communication tools and strategic advocacy to coincide with the document’s eventual release.
In each 90-minute session, we will discuss:
- What reproductive justice should mean for people living with HIV making infant feeding decisions;
- How stigma, surveillance, coercion and criminalization affect reproductive rights and infant feeding decisions;
- What needs to change in laws, policies, health systems, and service provision;
- What the expert consensus on infant feeding in the context of HIV criminalization must say to reflect the realities and priorities of our communities; and
- Advocacy strategies and resources to advance reproductive rights and HIV justice.
Who should attend? This is an international, cross-sector consultation process. We invite community advocates; healthcare providers; legal practitioners; researchers; women across the gender spectrum and gender-diverse people living with HIV; and others interested in advancing reproductive justice for people living with HIV to participate. The primary language of the consultation sessions will be English. Simultaneous onscreen translation will be provided using Wordly technology to facilitate multilingual participation.
