Stigma around sexuality in young people can hinder conversations with policy makers, but young people have a “right to participate” in decisions about their sexual health, a youth advocate says.

Hayley Gleeson is coordinator of ACT!2015, a global youth-driven initiative that calls for government accountability around HIV and encourages solidarity between youth organizations working with HIV.

ACT!2015 is a project from UNAIDS and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

Gleeson was part of a panel on youth engagement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 2017 ECOSOC Youth Forum held this week at UN Headquarters.

Speaking to Jocelyne Sambira following the meeting, Gleeson called for the removal of stigma around sexuality in young people.

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