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: Human Rights Watch documents mass arrests, forced HIV testing, restricted access to legal representation
Brutal Crackdown Violates LGBT People’s Rights
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Mexico: Yucatán repeals HIV exposure law from its criminal code
State Parliament repeals “Crime of transmission” law that discriminated against people living with HIV
October 1, 2026
Tajikistan: Tajikistan expands mandatory HIV testing requirements
New rules for HIV medical examination came into force in Tajikistan
September 30, 2026
News by the HIV Justice Network

The Irony of HIV Exceptionalism
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