This myriad of laws, across multiple legal systems, has one thing in common: by punishing those who have HIV, or the practices that may leave them vulnerable to infection, such laws simply serve to drive people further from disclosure, testing and treatment—fostering, not fighting, the global epidemic. It is time to say, “No more.” Just as we need new science to help fight the viral epidemic, we need new thinking to combat an epidemic of bad laws that is undermining the precious gains made in HIV awareness, prevention and treatment over the past thirty years.
Dr. Shereen El Feki hopes that legal environment will improve following Global Commission report
News curated from other sources

Senegal: Lawyers challenge phone searches and lack of legal counsel in LGBTQ+ cases
Senegal’s anti-homosexuality law: violations of defendants’ rights are causing concern among lawyers and NGOs
May 19, 2026


Senegal: Legal and human rights concerns mount in LGBT and HIV Criminalisation cases
Relatives of the defendants denounce “a violation of the rights of the defense”
May 11, 2026

US: Arkansas’s outdated HIV laws fuel fear and deter people from getting tested and treated
Advocates call on Arkansas lawmakers to decriminalize HIV, fund treatment and prevention
May 1, 2026

Senegal: Arrests threaten Senegal’s HIV response as patients avoid clinics
HIV patients in Senegal skip treatment, fearing arrest amid anti-LGBTQ crackdown
April 30, 2026
News by the HIV Justice Network

2025 in review: more reported cases, uneven reform
January 7, 2026



