People living with HIV and other key populations – including gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, sex workers and people who inject drugs – often face stigma, discrimination and criminalization. The Global Commission on HIV and the Law, in its 2018 Supplement, highlighted that a legal environment that respects, protects and fulfils human rights and promotes overall health and well-being is an effective and efficient means of reducing the risks and the toll of HIV and other communicable infections on people, communities and resources.

Spectrum: A Tool for Key Population-Led Law and Policy Reform illustrates how people living with HIV, other key populations and their allies can strategically approach law and policy reform to remove barriers to HIV and health services in a combination of different ways. The Spectrum can be applied to shape and structure the strategies and interventions for law and policy reform that are best suited to their realities. This Spectrum has three main components - pathways, building blocks and critical enablers - which work together in a combination of ways that are shaped by needs, priorities and context.