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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

Mexico: Sexual connotation removed from BCS article on "danger of contagion" on but full repeal denied

To avoid discrimination, article of the BCS Penal Code on “danger of contagion” was reformed
December 7, 2023

Mexico: Proposal for reform of HIV and STI criminalisation law put forward to Puebla Justice Commission for consideration

Proposed repeal of penalties for people with sexually transmitted diseases
December 4, 2023

Mexico: HIV Criminalisation reform one of the pending issues in Mexico City backlog of legislative reforms

Congress is behind on reform to decriminalise HIV
December 4, 2023

US: Tennessee's aggravated prostitution statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act

Justice Department Finds that Enforcement of Tennessee State Law Discriminates Against People with HIV
December 2, 2023

EECA Judges’ Forum on HIV, Human Rights and the Law meet to discuss challenges presented by punitive laws

Judges from Eastern Europe and Central Asia gather in Moldova to discuss the region’s pressing issues around health, HIV, human rights and the law
November 30, 2023

News by the HIV Justice Network

Announcing Living 2024:
The People Living with HIV Pre-conference at AIDS2024!

December 1, 2023

What do our HIV Justice Academy graduates think of the HIV Criminalisation Online Course?

November 3, 2023

New HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE website now live!

October 13, 2023

IAS 2023: Five-year impact of Expert Consensus Statement – poster published today

July 24, 2023

Coming soon:
HIV Justice Live! Episode 5: Bringing Science to Justice

July 14, 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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