Protests in Namibia after 3 HIV-positive women say they were sterilized without their consent

3 Namibian women with HIV say they were sterilized

WINDHOEK, Namibia — Supporters of three HIV-positive women in Namibia who say they were sterilized without their consent are taking the government to court.

And a legal support organization said Wednesday that protesters are also staging sit-ins at state health facilities in the southern African nation.

The three women allege they were sterilized without their consent in violation of their rights to have children and not to be discriminated against.

The women are seeking damages at a court hearing that is scheduled for Friday. Organizers say sit-in protests at two main state hospitals are set to continue until after the hearing.

UNAIDS estimates there are some 200,000 people living with HIV in Namibia.