why it's needed The global community has prioritized the fight
against AIDS. Most governments have also signed international
agreements honoring the principles of gender equality and of
human rights. But how are these linked? Why are gender equality
and human rights crucial for achieving sexual health and well-
being? The fact is that gender norms profoundly affect young
people’s ability to make and implement decisions regarding their
own sexual lives. For example, the unforgiveable reality is that
sex, marriage, and pregnancy remain neither voluntary nor
informed for tens of millions of girls. Boys, too, often
experience intense pressures to live up to unrealistic and
harmful expectations of manhood. The consequences are real.
Studies from both developing and developed countries confirm
that young people who believe in gender equality have better
sexual health outcomes than their peers. In contrast, those
young people who hold less egalitarian attitudes tend to have
worse sexual health outcomes. For example,