During the early years of the HIV epidemic, a number of states implemented HIV-specific criminal exposure laws. These laws impose criminal penalties on living with HIV who know their HIV status and – who potentially expose others to HIV.
Criminalization of Potential Exposure | HIV and the Law | CDC HIV/AIDS
News curated from other sources
US: Arkansas’s outdated HIV laws fuel fear and deter people from getting tested and treated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
Canada: A new podcast series from the HIV Legal Network on HIV criminalisation and indigenous realities
Not a Crime: Indigenous perspectives on HIV criminalization
April 22, 2026
US: HIV Law reform bill moves forward in Louisiana legislature
Louisiana has one of the harshest HIV exposure laws. Lawmakers advanced a bill to modernize it.
April 13, 2026
Senegal: CCM Senegal condemns disclosure of HIV test results
Disclosure of HIV test results: The president of the CCM Senegal denounces a violation of the law
April 11, 2026
News by the HIV Justice Network
2025 in review: more reported cases, uneven reform
January 7, 2026
