A milestone for human rights which accelerates access to HIV services, free from discrimination in the Caribbean which will advance efforts to end AIDS by 2030

Kingston/Geneva 30 July 2025—UNAIDS celebrates the groundbreaking decision by the High Court of Justice in Saint Lucia declaring sections 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code unconstitutional for criminalizing consensual adult sexual acts in private. This triumph upholds LGBTQ+ people’s rights to protection of the law, privacy, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, and equal protection under the law, as guaranteed by the Constitution.

"This landmark decision underscores the transformative power of the law in protecting human rights and public health," said Luisa Cabal, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. "In a region where punitive laws hindered progress towards ending AIDS, Saint Lucia's High Court has set a powerful precedent. UNAIDS stands ready to support all governments and communities in ensuring everyone can live free from discrimination and access the services they need to thrive healthily and safely," said Ms Cabal.

The case is one of the five country strategic litigation initiatives of the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) which has been working closely with LGBTQ+ organizations, individuals and allies to protect and promote the community’s basic human rights. The case removes out-dated, colonial-era barriers that fuel stigma, discrimination and violence. The Court modified the laws relating to exclude private consensual acts between adults (section 132) and those aged 16+ (section 133), paving the way for dignity and equality to be respected.

Saint Lucia now joins Belize (2016), Antigua and Barbuda (2022), St. Kitts and Nevis (2022), Barbados (2022), and Dominica (2024), which decriminalised same-sex intimacy in recent years. This chronology reflects a surging momentum against outdated laws, fostering more inclusive, rights-based societies across the region.

"The ruling in Saint Lucia gives us hope, demonstrating that justice and equality can prevail and that our courts are advancing public health initiatives by protecting human rights," said Richard Amenyah, UNAIDS Country Director for the Caribbean. "By removing these outdated criminal provisions, we open doors for LGBTQ+ individuals to seek HIV prevention and care without fear, ultimately strengthening our regional fight against HIV and saving lives."

UNAIDS champions this move as a key stride toward zero discrimination and ending AIDS by 2030. By erasing these discriminatory provisions, the ruling removes an obstacle to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, vital in a region where gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender women have disproportionately high rates of HIV and often are kept away from health services for fear of stigma, discrimination and criminalization.

UNAIDS urges remaining countries where these discriminatory laws remain on the books to repeal such laws and prioritize rights-based HIV strategies for healthier futures and more equitable societies.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

This story first appeared in the UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2025 report.

Marouane Abouzid grew up in Casablanca, Morocco, where many boys act like bullies and sex is taboo. That changed when he joined the project Sport Is Your Protection, where he gained knowledge about gender equality and health. “The training on HIV awareness led by UNAIDS and Tibu Africa was a transformative experience in the sense that I saw how sports can be an effective way to get a message out,” the 25-year-old says. “It also gave me essential skills like communicating clearly and active listening.” 

He enjoyed the project so much that he trained to lead sports activities and participate in other sessions. “I talk openly about what I have learned. I encourage my friends to get tested for HIV and encourage people to respect others,” he says, excited about becoming a role model for his peers.

Marouane describes the activities as a safe space to discuss all sorts of issues that young people face in Morocco, such as poverty, unemployment and a patriarchal system.

Marouane is not alone. Assia Ezzahraoui, a participant in the Tibu Africa sports vocational school programme, joined the weeklong sexual education awareness meeting. “The informative sessions gave me new insights into symptoms, prevention methods and available treatments,” she says. Assia feels more secure about how to protect herself and her friends.

Tibu Africa was founded in 2011 and aims to bring the programme across different cities in Morocco. UNAIDS joined with Tibu Africa in 2024. “This first partnership with UNAIDS Morocco mobilized young people around issues to transcend barriers and create opportunities for dialogue and awareness,” says Mohamed Amine Zariat, President of Tibu Africa. “We hope this first step will serve as a springboard for future, even more ambitious initiatives.”

An estimated 24 000 [21 000–26 000] people are living with HIV in Morocco, and nearly 40% of these are women. Although the prevalence of HIV is relatively low in Morocco, vulnerable populations such as sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs are particularly at risk. Moroccan youth represent more than 30% of the total population, but a quarter of people aged 15–24 years have no job and lack education and training—young women are particularly hard hit.

Houssine El Rhilani, UNAIDS Country Director in Morocco, is aware of this. He believes the collaboration with Tibu Africa combining sport, education and awareness-raising can empower young people. “We were able to reach young people not only with information, but also through experience, providing them with concrete tools to become prevention ambassadors in their own communities,” he says. “We cannot end AIDS without prioritizing future generations.”