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News curated from other sources

Canada: Male Call study finds more than half of gay men with HIV fear being prosecuted for not disclosing their HIV status

11 April 2013
Canada Resources Media/Public Opinion Social science Research
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Source: Theglobeandmail

Two-thirds of men who have sex with men believe that people with HIV-AIDS should face criminal charges if they fail to disclose their status to a sexual partner. But that number varied a lot depending on circumstance, with 83 per cent saying non-disclosure before anal sex should be a crime, and 42 per cent saying failure to disclose HIV status before oral sex was a criminal act. Only 17 per cent said failing to disclose should never be criminalized. “The consensus is there should be legal measures in place related to disclosure,” Dan Allman, an assistant professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, said in an interview. “At the same time, there is a feeling that legal measures won’t have an impact. There’s an innate understanding that disclosing your HIV status is hard and criminal laws aren’t going to make it easier,” he said.

The survey, dubbed Male Call involved 1,235 detailed interviews with men who have sex with men. The research shows that 26.2 per cent of respondents did not know their HIV status because they had not been tested recently; that number jumped to 50.6 per cent among bisexual men. Overall, 67.2 per cent of the men surveyed were HIV-negative, and 6.6 per cent HIV-positive.

Most of those who had not been tested said they were confident they were HIV-negative because their sexual practices put them at low risk. But a significant minority, 17 per cent, said they did not want to know their status, either because they could not deal with being infected or out of fear it could cause legal problems.

The fear associated with being HIV-positive was pervasive. The poll showed that 83 per cent of men worry about being stigmatized because of HIV, while 68 per cent fear being rejected by other gay/bisexual men, and 51 per cent fear being prosecuted for not disclosing their HIV status. 17.8% agreed that in the current legal climate it was better not to know your HIV status.

Full report available here: http://www.malecall.ca/technical-report/

News curated from other sources

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May 23, 2023

Uganda: Bill retaining death penalty for having gay sex when HIV positive sent back to President for signing

Uganda parliament passes harsh anti-LGBTQ bill mostly unchanged
May 3, 2023

US: Bill to reform Indiana HIV criminalisation law fails to clear the state's Senate

Reform of HIV Criminalization Laws Gaining Traction in Indiana but Not Yet There
April 18, 2023

Kenya: People living with HIV will continue to lobby for change after disappointing High Court decision

“HIV is not a crime!” – People living with HIV disappointed by High Court judgment in HIV criminalisation case
April 3, 2023

UK: New Crown Prosecution Service guidance on cases of alleged HIV transmission states that undetectable viral load stops HIV transmission

U=U acknowledged in prosecutors’ guidance in England and Wales
April 3, 2023

News by the HIV Justice Network

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June 2, 2023

New EECA HIV criminalisation report shows women living with HIV bear the brunt of "legalised stigma"

April 14, 2023

Transgender Day of Visibility 2023

March 31, 2023

An important new advocacy tool for HIV justice

March 10, 2023

On Zero Discrimination Day:
law reform is not easy, but it's possible

March 1, 2023
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Disclaimer

This website operates as a global hub, consolidating a wide range of resources on HIV criminalisation for advocates working to abolish criminal and similar laws, policies and practices that regulate, control and punish people living with HIV based on their HIV-positive status. While we endeavour to ensure that all information is correct and up-to-date, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of laws or cases. The information contained on this site is not a substitute for legal advice. Anyone seeking clarification of the law in particular circumstances should seek legal advice. Read more

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The HIV Justice Network is also grateful to The Monument Trust for its generous support between 2012-15.

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