People living with HIV may soon no longer have to disclose their status.
This is according to a new legislative proposal set to enter into force on 1 July 2027
“This is truly a long-awaited announcement,” says Felix König, Secretary General of RFSL.
The Government has put forward several proposals to strengthen infection control in Sweden.
Together with Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed, investigator Jan Albert presented new perspectives on the duty to disclose HIV status at a press conference on Thursday morning (2nd April 2026).
“The risk lies with those who do not know they have HIV, not with those who are aware of their diagnosis. The duty to disclose is unique to Sweden and was controversial even when it was introduced 40 years ago.”
“Risks perpetuating stigma”
He believes that the duty to disclose HIV status during sex is not effective and should be abolished, whilst patients continue to be encouraged to be open. The focus should instead be on voluntary disclosure and personalised responsibility through advice and support, according to the proposal.
The proposal means that the duty to inform would be removed in its current form and could only be given as a general guideline – in practice, not in the context of sex.
– There is no longer any reason to retain a system that risks perpetuating stigma and may even hinder diagnosis. The aim of commissioning this inquiry was that the duty to inform should, if possible, be removed, and we now have the evidence to support this. HIV is today a treatable infection and should be managed like any other such condition, says the Minister for Social Affairs.
According to the inquiry, neighbouring countries do not have a duty to inform regarding HIV, yet still have an equally good situation when it comes to domestic transmission.
RFSL: Sweden has faced criticism
Felix König, Secretary General of RFSL, describes the announcement as long-awaited.
– RFSL has been working for over 40 years to reduce the vulnerability of people living with HIV in Sweden.
According to him, current regulations have contributed to discrimination and increased stigma for people living with HIV in Sweden.
– This is also something for which Sweden has faced criticism from UNAIDS and other organisations because we have retained this legislation. What we know is that this legislation contributes to stigma and does not reduce the spread of infection.
He goes on to say that research has progressed to the point where the risk of those being treated for HIV passing the disease on is very small.
– I also believe that we have become a more open society over time, where we can view issues with a little more nuance. Everyone wants us to be able to reduce the spread of HIV, but perhaps we could have discussed a little more how we achieve that. And we believe we do so through support, dialogue and openness – not criminalisation or punishment.
“The direction of this work is very, very clear… that there are no grounds for maintaining the duty to inform… That is absolutely the ambition.”“Removing the duty to inform does not risk increased transmission… it is not an effective tool to limit transmission.”
- Sweden plans a major reform of its infectious disease law, shifting toward:
- voluntary compliance
- proportional measures
- stronger legal safeguards
- In practice, it will no longer apply to sexual activity
- It creates stigma and unnecessary intrusion into private life
- Sweden is an outlier; neighbouring countries do not have such a law
- Policy shift:Move from coercive legal duties → advice, support, and individual responsibility
- Align law with modern HIV science and human rights principles
