News curated from other sources

The latest news relevant to HIV criminalisation, curated from a wide range of sources

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Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signs 'Contagious or Infectious Disease Transmission Act', replacing draconian, unscientific HIV-specific law

31 May 2014

Des Moines, Ia. — Today, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed into law Senate File 2297, bi-partisan legislation that will modernize Iowa’s HIV criminal transmission statute to make the statute consistent with contemporary science, improve public health and lessen stigmatization of…

Iowa USA Articles Law and policy reform

US: On eve of national HIV criminalisation conference Iowa's remarkable advocacy success is the model for other states to follow

30 May 2014

If Gov. Terry Branstad signs Senate File 2297 on Friday as planned, Iowa will become the first state in the country to repeal and replace its criminal transmission of HIV law, activists say. The law being reformed had been on…

Iowa USA Law and policy reform Campaigns Events Human rights

Panel asks how HIV criminalization affects positive women

26 April 2014

Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network discussion explored nondisclosure and sexual assault laws

Canada Events Social science Personal testimonies

HIV Criminalization Hurts Women on Both Sides of the Courtroom

10 March 2014

Laws requiring individuals with HIV to disclose their status before sex are assumed to be in place to protect people. Often these laws are framed as protection for women. In a 2012 Supreme Court of Canada decision that made the…

Canada: Supreme Court rules that unwanted pregnancy is a similar 'harm' to HIV

10 March 2014

Men who sabotage condoms may turn an otherwise consensual act with a woman into sexual assault, and women who lie about using birth control have been left with some uncertainty about whether they, too, could face charges, under a Supreme…

Canada Harm Appeal court decisions

PARTNER study findings of zero transmissions amongst mixed HIV status gay and heterosexual couples where the positive partner has a low viral load has important legal implications

5 March 2014

As reported today at the 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, the multinational PARTNER study found zero HIV transmissions from condomless sex within mixed-HIV-status couples when the HIV-positive partner had his or her viral load suppressed below 200 copies/mL….

Risk

US: Second attempt to modernise Iowa's HIV-specific criminal law during current legislative session

19 February 2014

A new bill, introduced Monday by Senator Rob Hogg, along with bi-partisan support, seeks to reform Iowa’s 709c HIV law. Iowa’s 709c law states a person has committed criminal transmission of HIV if that person knowingly engages in intimate contact…

Iowa USA Law and policy reform Events

Moving from potential complainant to anti-criminalisation advocate

12 February 2014

Dee Borrego is a 30-year-old woman, who since being diagnosed with HIV at the age of 20 has been on the forefront national HIV/AIDS activism. For Visual AIDS, Borrego has written an essay in which she talks about the anger…

USA Articles Campaigns

India: Supportive, protective HIV law introduced in the Rajya Sabha (upper house)

12 February 2014

Bill to end HIV/AIDS discrimination introduced – A bill aiming to protect people with HIV/AIDS against discrimination was introduced in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday. The HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill 2014 was introduced in the upper house amid din. The…

India Supportive laws and policies

Three new publications from Global Commission on HIV and the Law help advocacy to move forward

31 January 2014

In support of efforts by UNDP, UNAIDS and other UN agencies, governments and civil society to take forward the Commission’s recommendations, and learning lessons countries who have undertaken follow up activities including national dialogues, legal review and legal environment assessments,…

Resources

Global Commission on HIV and the Law Jan 2014 newsletter highlights important legal and policy developments as well as new resources

23 January 2014

We are pleased to share this first Newsletter Issue of 2014 containing several important developments. Perhaps most significantly, there have been a number of controversial recent anti-LGBT rulings and legislation around the world. In the same week in December, both…

India Nigeria Uganda Uzbekistan Punitive laws and policies Appeal court decisions Resources Supportive laws and policies

US: Hiding one’s HIV status might be wrong, but it shouldn’t be a crime

22 January 2014

Here in Pennsylvania, even if you use a condom, even if you are on antiretroviral therapy-which, for the record, when used together with condoms, reduces the risk of HIV transmission close to zero-and even if you do not transmit HIV…

Pennsylvania USA Articles Media/Public Opinion

Uganda: Remove mandatory testing, mandatory disclosure and criminalization clauses in draft HIV-specific law, say activists

16 January 2014

A coalition of HIV/AIDS activists has asked parliament to amend some clauses in the HIV/AIDS Protection and Control Bill 2010 before enacted into law. The activists said the HIV Prevention and Control Bill 2010 in its current form has clauses…

Uganda Campaigns Punitive laws and policies

Nigeria's anti-gay law, condemned by US, Britain and Canada, will harm HIV response, says UNAIDS

14 January 2014

Local and international groups fighting AIDS warned on Tuesday that a new Nigerian law criminalizing same-sex marriage and gay organizations will jeopardize the fight against the deadly disease. Activist Dorothy Aken’Ova said the new legislation, already dubbed the “Jail the Gays” law,…

Nigeria Articles Punitive laws and policies Human rights Public health

UNAIDS releases handbook to enhance the capacity of the judiciary to address HIV-related legal and human rights issues

7 January 2014

Judging the epidemic has been prepared as a resource to help judges, magistrates, arbitrators and other judicial officers throughout the world adjudicate cases involving HIV-related issues. This handbook may also be used by judicial trainers and ministries of justice to…

Human rights Judges Resources

Uganda: New Anti-Homosexuality Bill a setback for Uganda’s HIV response

23 December 2013

The draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill passed by Uganda’s parliament on 20 December would deliver a major blow to the response to HIV/AIDS if it was enacted by President Yoweri Museveni, activists have warned. Those found guilty of homosexual acts can be…

Uganda Punitive laws and policies Media/Public Opinion

Guyana: New law protects people with HIV against discrimination in the workplace

22 December 2013

Legislative changes now protect persons living with HIV against discrimination in the workplace, and it is mandatory for employers with more than five regular employees on staff to develop a written policy on HIV and AIDS. The law forms part…

Guyana Supportive laws and policies

Canada: Study finds prisoners with unsuppressed viral loads nearly twice as likely to share used needles if they had been incarcerated

16 December 2013

People living with HIV are more likely to share syringes and not disclose they are HIV positive when they are in jail, according to a new study by researchers at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. The study, conducted…

Canada Social science Public health

Switzerland: How effective HIV treatment has impacted upon the criminalisation of HIV exposure

16 December 2013

The preventative effect on HIV transmission of being virally suppressed due to antiretroviral therapy (ART), as recognized by the Swiss Commission for HIV/AIDS in 2008, has helped to reduce the criminalization of HIV exposure in Switzerland. Since the Swiss statement’s…

Switzerland Articles Law and policy reform Risk Harm Appeal court decisions

Tanzania: Official urges government leaders to create mandatory HIV testing law

4 December 2013

A Ward Executive Officer in Mkanyenge ward, in Kishapu District, Sima Philbert, has urged the government to come up with a law for mandatory HIV testing in order to effectively combat the pandemic. http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/25417-call-for-law-for-mandatory-hiv-testing

Tanzania Punitive laws and policies

A critical summary of recently presented/published social science research into the impact of overly broad HIV criminalisation

17 October 2013

In recent years, the criminalization of HIV transmission, exposure and non-disclosure has become a hot topic among those working within the global AIDS milieu. Social scientists have become increasingly attentive to the complex and varied consequences and impacts of HIV…

Canada United Kingdom USA Articles Resources Social science Research Public health

Australia: South Australia Government plans mandatory HIV testing following blood or saliva exposure to police

14 October 2013

ANY offender whose blood or saliva comes into contact with a police officer will be compelled to undergo a mandatory blood test, under new laws to be introduced by the State Government. Premier Jay Weatherill will today outline the measure…

South Australia Australia Punitive laws and policies Police

Ghana: New supportive, human rights-focused HIV law expected to pass soon

13 October 2013

The Ghana AIDS Commission and its partners have drafted a new legal framework, HIV and the Law which is expected to be passed into law soon. According to Ghana AIDS Commission’s Abu Mahama, the legal framework is to address issues…

Ghana Supportive laws and policies

US: Center for HIV Law and Policy published new toolkit for advocates working on state-level HIV criminalisation modernisation efforts

30 September 2013

This Community Advocate Toolkit was created primarily as a go-to resource for community advocates working on state-level HIV criminalization modernization efforts. It provides quick-reference resources (e.g., HIV criminalization talking points and references), links to longer reference materials (including, links to…

USA Resources

Southern African leaders warned that mandatory HIV testing is both a violation of human rights and a hinderance to public health

26 August 2013

Windhoek, 22 August 2013 – The AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), a partnership of 73 non-governmental organizations working in southern and east Africa, has noted with concern reports that several SADC leaders lauded mandatory HIV testing as…

Botswana Democratic Republic of Congo Malawi Tanzania Zimbabwe Articles Punitive laws and policies Human rights Public health