US: New report from Williams Institute examines examines impact of legislative reforms on HIV criminalisation in Pennsylvani

Enforcement of Bodily Fluid Exposure Laws in Pennsylvania Before and After Legislative Reform

This report examines the impact of legislative reforms on HIV criminalization in Pennsylvania, with particular attention to bodily-fluid exposure offenses, including Assault by Prisoner, Assault by Life Prisoner, and the newly enacted Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer.

Executive Summary

HIV criminalization refers to laws that impose criminal penalties for conduct based on an individual’s HIV-positive status. While many of these laws were enacted during the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, advances in HIV prevention and treatment have significantly reduced the risk of transmission and transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition for many people. Nevertheless, HIV-related criminal laws remain in effect in many jurisdictions, including Pennsylvania.

HIV criminalization through HIV-related criminal laws in Pennsylvania began in the mid-1990s. These laws punish certain conduct by people living with HIV, such as exposing others to bodily fluids or waste. In 2022, Pennsylvania amended its HIV-specific bodily-fluid exposure offenses, “Assault by Prisoner” and “Assault by Life Prisoner,” that apply to incarcerated people. It removed explicit references to HIV and incorporated the laws into a broader communicable disease framework. It also specified that the type of bodily fluid exposure must be one that “can transmit the communicable disease.” The same year, Pennsylvania’s legislature created a new offense, “Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer,” which expanded criminalization of communicable disease-related bodily fluid exposure beyond incarceration settings. Although these reforms removed HIV-specific language from these offenses, Pennsylvania’s new legal framework continued to criminalize certain conduct involving HIV-related bodily-fluid exposure.

This report examines the impact of legislative reforms on HIV criminalization in Pennsylvania, with particular attention to bodily-fluid exposure offenses, including Assault by Prisoner, Assault by Life Prisoner, and Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer.

Key Findings

  • Replacing HIV-specific language with broader references to communicable diseases and specifying that the method of exposure must be one capable of transmitting the communicable disease had little effect on the enforcement of Pennsylvania’s Assault by Prisoner and Assault by Life Prisoner offenses.
  • The enactment of a new offense, Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer, resulted in a substantial increase in criminalization and enforcement over time.
  • Comparing the two statutes for which we have the most comparable data, after 2022, there were a total of 21 Assault by Prisoner bodily fluid exposure cases involving communicable diseases in 2023 and 2024, compared with 80 Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer cases, an almost four-to-one ratio.

Although we were unable to identify the specific alleged disease exposure in the available data, removing the explicit reference to HIV and expanding the scope of covered diseases did not appear to meaningfully alter enforcement patterns, whereas creating a new criminal offense significantly increased enforcement. Overall, Pennsylvania’s HIV-related legislative reforms have resulted in a marked increase in the criminalization of people with communicable diseases in the state, as measured by the number of new criminal cases filed.

Download the full report

Mexico: Morelos State Government takes part in first forum on the repeal of HIV Criminalisation

Morelos organises a forum on repealing the offence of risk of infection to bring human rights and scientific evidence into line

The Morelos government organised a forum to discuss the repeal of the offence of risk of infection, with a view to bringing state legislation into line with human rights and scientific evidence, and to avoid criminalising health or perpetuating stigma.

The Morelos State Government took part in the First Forum on the Repeal of the Offence of Risk of Infection, with the aim of examining the updating of the state’s legal framework from a human rights perspective and in line with current scientific evidence. The event took place on the esplanade of the State Congress, attended by institutional representatives, specialists, civil society organisations and sectors involved in the care of people living with HIV.

During the forum, the discussion centred on the need to review and eventually repeal the offence of ‘risk of transmission’ set out in the Morelos Penal Code, on the grounds that its existence can lead to the criminalisation of health, reinforce stigma and exacerbate discrimination against vulnerable populations. The initiative also seeks to bring local legislation into line with international and national standards on human rights and biomedical science.

Legal analysis and human rights at the Morelos forum

Betsaida Valle Cerdán, head of the Human Rights Department, attended on behalf of Andrea Acevedo García, Director-General for Human Rights at the Morelos Ministry of the Interior. Valle Cerdán played an active role in the dialogue alongside municipal civil servants, organisations working on HIV, civil society organisations and directors of departments responsible for sexual diversity.

Participants emphasised the importance of updating Morelos’ legal framework to reflect a state policy that prioritises respect for human dignity and individual rights. Throughout the forum, it was reaffirmed that criminal policies should not be used to address public health issues, as their use can lead to the restriction of rights and foster social stigma.

Impact of the repeal of the offence of risk of infection

The offence of ‘risk of contagion’, currently in force in the Morelos State Criminal Code, has been the subject of debate due to its role in the criminalisation of people with communicable diseases, particularly those living with HIV. Forum participants emphasised that repealing this offence would help prevent discriminatory practices and enable the adoption of an approach based on prevention, information and access to medical services, as well as a comprehensive approach to public health.

  • Preventing the criminalisation of health.
  • Combating social stigma and discrimination.
  • Aligning local law with scientific evidence.
  • Promoting inclusive public policies.

Valle Cerdán highlighted the importance of creating spaces for cross-sectoral coordination and engagement with civil society to strengthen a legislative framework that protects human rights in the state.

Scientific foundations and comprehensive healthcare

One of the forum’s central tenets was that healthcare must be based on the application of up-to-date scientific information, prevention strategies and the guarantee of access to adequate medical services. Participants agreed that the use of criminal law to address health challenges is not in line with technical advances or international best practice, and that it may constitute a violation of the individual rights of those affected.

It was emphasised that all public policy should be geared towards inclusion, guaranteeing respect for the dignity of all people regardless of their HIV status or other health characteristics.

Social participation and legislative progress in Morelos

The official delegation reiterated the call to broaden the participation of different sectors of civil society in the development of public policies and regulatory frameworks. According to Valle Cerdán, “promoting forums for analysis and dialogue reinforces democratic principles, promotes the protection of human dignity and constitutes an essential step towards eradicating stigma and discrimination in Morelos”.

The forum demonstrated the state government’s willingness to coordinate with civil society groups and specialists in the transition towards a legal framework that is fairer and more in line with social and scientific reality.

What does the repeal mean for people living with HIV and other vulnerable groups?

The potential repeal of the offence of risk of contagion represents a significant step forward for people living with HIV and other groups affected by communicable diseases. Removing this offence from the State Criminal Code would, as discussed at the forum, help to legally protect these populations from legal stigmatisation, guarantee their full access to medical services and prevent institutional discrimination.

What will be the next steps following the First Forum?

Whilst the First Forum on the Repeal of the Offence of Risk of Infection in Morelos served as a space for reflection, analysis and the putting forward of proposals, the authorities and civil society agreed to continue working to drive forward legislative reforms that guarantee the protection of human rights. Further working groups and consultations are planned, along with the involvement of specialist organisations, before any draft reform bill is submitted to the State Congress.


Morelos impulsa foro sobre derogación del delito de peligro de contagio para armonizar derechos humanos y evidencia científica

El gobierno de Morelos organizó un foro para analizar la derogación del delito de peligro de contagio, buscando alinear la legislación estatal con derechos humanos y evidencia científica, y evitar criminalizar la salud o fomentar el estigma.

El Gobierno del Estado de Morelos participó en el Primer Foro sobre la Derogación del Delito de Peligro de Contagio, con el objetivo de analizar la actualización del marco jurídico estatal bajo una perspectiva de derechos humanos y en concordancia con la evidencia científica vigente. El evento se desarrolló en la explanada del Congreso del Estado, con la presencia de representantes institucionales, especialistas, organizaciones sociales y sectores vinculados a la atención de personas con VIH.

Durante el foro, la discusión giró en torno a la necesidad de revisar y eventualmente derogar el delito de «peligro de contagio» establecido en el Código Penal de Morelos, argumentando que su existencia puede conducir a la criminalización de la salud, reforzar el estigma y profundizar la discriminación hacia poblaciones vulnerables. La iniciativa busca además armonizar la legislación local con los estándares internacionales y nacionales en materia de derechos humanos y ciencia biomédica.

Análisis jurídico y derechos humanos en el foro de Morelos

Betsaida Valle Cerdán, jefa del Departamento de Derechos Humanos, acudió en representación de Andrea Acevedo García, directora general de Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría de Gobierno de Morelos. Valle Cerdán intervino activamente en el espacio de diálogo junto a servidores públicos municipales, asociaciones dedicadas al VIH, organizaciones de sociedad civil y directores de áreas de Diversidad Sexual.

Los participantes pusieron énfasis en la relevancia de actualizar el marco jurídico de Morelos para que refleje una política estatal que priorice el respeto a la dignidad humana y las garantías individuales. A lo largo del foro, se ratificó que las políticas penales no deben emplearse para gestionar problemas de salud pública, ya que su uso puede derivar en la restricción de derechos y fomentar el estigma social.

Impacto de la derogación del delito de peligro de contagio

El delito de peligro de contagio, vigente en el Código Penal del Estado de Morelos, ha sido objeto de debate por su papel en la criminalización de personas con enfermedades transmisibles, en particular aquellas que viven con VIH.Participantes del foro subrayaron que la derogación de esta figura permitiría evitar prácticas discriminatorias y haría posible adoptar un enfoque basado en la prevención, la información y el acceso a servicios médicos, así como atender de manera integral la salud pública.

  • Evitar la criminalización de la salud.
  • Combatir el estigma social y la discriminación.
  • Armonizar la ley local con la evidencia científica.
  • Promover políticas públicas incluyentes.

Valle Cerdán resaltó la importancia de construir espacios de coordinación intersectorial y de participación con sociedad civil para fortalecer un entorno legislativo que proteja los derechos humanos en la entidad.

Fundamentos científicos y atención integral en salud

Una de las consignas centrales del foro fue que la atención a la salud debe ser resultado de la aplicación de información científica actualizada, estrategias de prevención y la garantía de acceso a servicios médicos adecuados. Los participantes coincidieron en que la utilización del derecho penal para enfrentar retos de salud no responde a los avances técnicos ni a las mejores prácticas internacionales, y que puede constituir una vulneración a las garantías individuales de las personas afectadas.

Se recalcó que toda política pública debería orientarse hacia la inclusión, garantizando el respeto a la dignidad de todas las personas independientemente de su condición serológica u otra característica de salud.

Participación social y avance legislativo en Morelos

La representación oficial reiteró el llamado a ampliar la participación de los diferentes sectores de la sociedad civil en la construcción de políticas públicas y marcos normativos. De acuerdo con Valle Cerdán, «impulsar foros de análisis y diálogo refuerza los principios democráticos, promueve la protección de la dignidad humana y constituye un paso esencial para erradicar estigmas y discriminación en Morelos».

El foro demostró disposición del Gobierno del Estado para coordinarse con colectivos y especialistas en el tránsito hacia un marco jurídico más justo y acorde a la realidad social y científica.

¿Qué significa la derogación para personas con VIH y otros grupos vulnerables?

La posible derogación del delito de peligro de contagio representa un avance significativo para las personas que viven con VIH y otros grupos afectados por enfermedades transmisibles. Eliminar este delito del Código Penal estatal contribuiría, según lo discutido en el foro, a proteger legalmente a estas poblaciones frente a la estigmatización legal, garantizar su acceso pleno a servicios médicos y prevenir la discriminación institucional.

¿Cuáles serán los próximos pasos tras el Primer Foro?

Si bien el Primer Foro sobre la Derogación del Delito de Peligro de Contagio en Morelos sirvió como un espacio de reflexión, análisis y planteamiento de propuestas, las autoridades y la sociedad civil acordaron seguir trabajando en el impulso de reformas legislativas que garanticen la protección de los derechos humanos. Se prevé la realización de nuevas mesas de trabajo, consultas y la involucración de organizaciones especializadas antes de que cualquier proyecto de reforma se lleve al Congreso del Estado.

Mexico: Call for the repeal of the HIV exposure article in Morelos Criminal Code

Members of the Citizens’ Observatory on Human Rights and Sexual Diversity are campaigning in Congress for the repeal of Article 136; they argue that it lacks scientific basis and encourages discrimination

Members of the Citizens’ Observatory on Human Rights and Sexual Diversity are lobbying the State Congress to repeal Article 136 of the Morelos Criminal Code, which criminalises the offence of“risk of contagion”.

Israel Dirzo Bahena, a representative of the observatory, noted that the first forum to discuss the repeal of this article was held last week. He explained that keeping it in forcelacks scientific basis and is based on outdated premises.

“Keeping this article in force serves no scientific purpose; it is based solely on outdated premises, and it discriminates against people living with an illness or a particular life situation; therefore, keeping it in force is clearly a violation of human rights.”

Article 136 stipulates that anyone who, knowing they are suffering from a serious illness during its infectious period, places another person at risk of infection, shall be sentenced to six months to one year’s imprisonment, in addition to treatment whilst at liberty. If the illness is incurable, the sentence is doubled.

Dirzo Bahena explained that the wording of this offence may lead some people to prefer not to know their HIV status or undergo testing for fear that the law will be applied to them.

“This prevents them from accessing medical treatment, follow-up care and medication.”

Mexico City repealed a similar offence in 2024. In Morelos, civil society organisations have been pushing for initiatives to abolish this offence since 2022 and 2023. According to Positivos Morelos, at least five people living with HIV have been imprisoned as a result of this provision remaining in force.

The activist emphasised that other states have made progress on this issue and argued that repealing the provision would form part of the fight against stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV or other illnesses.

“I believe that today we really do need to focus on the legislative work required to ensure this provision is repealed and removed from the Morelos State Penal Code.”


Buscan derogación del delito “peligro de contagio” en el Código Penal

Integrantes del Observatorio Ciudadano de Derechos Humanos y Diversidad Sexual impulsan ante el Congreso la derogación del artículo 136; argumentan que carece de sustento científico y fomenta la discriminación

Integrantes del Observatorio Ciudadano de Derechos Humanos y Diversidad Sexual impulsan ante el Congreso del Estado la derogación del artículo 136 del Código Penal de Morelos, que tipifica el delito de“peligro de contagio”.

Israel Dirzo Bahena, representante del observatorio, señaló que la semana pasada se realizó el primer foro para abordar la derogación de este artículo. Explicó que mantenerlo vigente carece de sustento científico y responde a premisas desactualizadas.

“Mantener este artículo vigente lo único que hace es no tener un sustento científico, solamente de premisas anteriores, y lo que hace es discriminar a las personas que viven con alguna enfermedad o con alguna condición de vida y entonces mantenerlo vigente a todas luces es violatorio a los derechos humanos”.

El artículo 136 establece que a quien, sabiendo que padece una enfermedad grave en periodo infectante, ponga en peligro de contagio a otra persona, se le impondrá una pena de seis meses a un año de prisión, además de tratamiento en libertad. Si la enfermedad es incurable, la pena se duplica.

Dirzo Bahena explicó que la redacción de este delito puede provocar que algunas personas prefieran no conocer su estado serológico ni realizarse pruebas por temor a que se les aplique la ley.

“Eso los aleja de un tratamiento médico, un seguimiento y una medicación”.

La Ciudad de México derogó una figura similar en 2024. En Morelos, organizaciones civiles han impulsado iniciativas para eliminar este delito desde 2022 y 2023. De acuerdo con Positivos Morelos, al menos cinco personas con VIH han estado en prisión debido a la vigencia de este artículo.

El activista subrayó que otros estados han avanzado en este tema y sostuvo que la derogación formaría parte de la lucha contra el estigma y la discriminación hacia las personas que viven con VIH u otras enfermedades.

“Me parece que hoy en día sí tenemos que visualizar el trabajo legislativo para que esta derogación se haga y se elimine del Código Penal del Estado de Morelos”.

Mexico: Puebla organisations renew call to repeal stigmatising HIV exposure law

In Puebla, civil society organisations are working to revive the initiative aimed at abolishing the legal concept known as ‘risk of transmission’ in relation to HIV, the existence of which contributes to social and workplace stigma against people living with the virus. Roberto Carlos, a representative of the Una Esperanza para tu Vida foundation in Tehuacán, explained that this proposal had already been discussed with legislators before the COVID-19 pandemic halted its progress; the aim now is to resume dialogue and set up working groups with the authorities to move forward with the repeal of this provision.

The representative pointed out that it is essential to strengthen the protection of the rights of those living with HIV, particularly given the challenges they face in retaining employment due to prejudice. “The fear of rejection can lead people to delay testing or avoid seeking medical care, as well as making it difficult to find or keep a job,” he warned.

During a screening campaign for sexually transmitted infections carried out between March and April 2026 in Tehuacán, 14 new cases of HIV were identified. Furthermore, the foundation reports that there are 635 people aged between 14 and 29 living with HIV in that region, a figure that underlines the urgency of stepping up prevention, timely diagnosis and counselling amongst the young population.

Roberto Carlos highlighted the need to make information, testing and support services more accessible, not only in Tehuacán but also in the surrounding communities. This, he said, will facilitate early detection and appropriate care for those living with the virus, in a context where stigma remains a major barrier.

In the face of these challenges, the organisation emphasises the importance of fostering a culture of respect and eliminating the prejudices that limit the exercise of the rights to health, work and personal development. It therefore called on the authorities and legislators to urgently resume the review and repeal of the legal provision that criminalises the ‘risk of HIV transmission’, as well as to strengthen awareness-raising and prevention campaigns in Puebla, where public policies must guarantee dignified treatment free from discrimination for all citizens.

In this context, the debate in Puebla is in line with similar developments in other parts of the country, such as Yucatán, where legislative efforts have been made to remove these provisions, demonstrating a trend towards greater inclusion and respect for human rights in HIV care.


En Puebla, organizaciones civiles trabajan para reactivar la iniciativa que busca eliminar la figura legal conocida como “peligro de contagio” relacionada con el VIH, cuya existencia contribuye al estigma social y laboral contra las personas que viven con este virus. Roberto Carlos, representante de la fundación Una Esperanza para tu Vida en Tehuacán, explicó que esta propuesta ya había sido discutida con legisladores antes de que la pandemia de COVID-19 frenara su avance, por lo que ahora se busca retomar el diálogo y establecer mesas de trabajo con autoridades para avanzar en la derogación de dicha disposición.

El representante señaló que es fundamental fortalecer la protección de los derechos de quienes viven con VIH, especialmente ante los retos que enfrentan para mantener un empleo debido a los prejuicios. “El temor al rechazo puede llevar a posponer pruebas o evitar atención médica, además de dificultar la incorporación o permanencia laboral”, advirtió.

Durante una jornada de detección de infecciones de transmisión sexual realizada entre marzo y abril de 2026 en Tehuacán, se identificaron 14 nuevos casos de VIH. Además, la fundación reporta la existencia de 635 personas con VIH entre los 14 y 29 años en esa región, cifra que subraya la urgencia de intensificar la prevención, el diagnóstico oportuno y la orientación dentro de la población joven.

Roberto Carlos destacó la necesidad de acercar información, pruebas y servicios de acompañamiento, no solo en Tehuacán, sino en las comunidades de su entorno. Esto, dijo, favorecerá la detección temprana y la atención adecuada para quienes viven con el virus, en un contexto donde el estigma sigue siendo una barrera fundamental.

Frente a estas problemáticas, la organización enfatiza la importancia de generar una cultura de respeto y eliminar los prejuicios que limitan el ejercicio de los derechos a la salud, al trabajo y al desarrollo personal. Por ello, hizo un llamado a las autoridades y legisladores a retomar de manera urgente la revisión y derogación de la figura legal que criminaliza el “peligro de contagio” por VIH, así como a fortalecer las campañas de sensibilización y prevención en Puebla, donde las políticas públicas deben garantizar un trato digno y libre de discriminación para todos los ciudadanos.

En este contexto, la discusión en Puebla se alinea con avances similares en otras entidades del país, como Yucatán, donde se han registrado esfuerzos legislativos para eliminar estas disposiciones, evidenciando una tendencia hacia una mayor inclusión y respeto a los derechos humanos en la atención del VIH.

Mexico: LGBTQI+ collective calls in congress to repeal HIV criminalisation laws in Tlaxcala

The Tlaxcala LGBTTTI+ Collective has called on the 65th Legislature to repeal Article 302 of the local Criminal Code, following the repeal of Article 160 in Baja California.

The repeal of criminal provisions penalising the so-called ‘risk of transmission’ in Baja California has reignited the call by the Tlaxcala LGBTTTI+ Collective to the local Congress to push for legal changes that protect the rights of people living with HIV.

The organisation welcomed the decision by the Baja California Congress to remove Article 160 from its Penal Code, considering it an important step towards combating the discrimination and stigma faced by those living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

In their statement, activists highlighted the involvement of civil society organisations and people living with HIV in the fight to amend laws they consider to be contrary to human rights. They also pointed out that addressing this issue must prioritise prevention, access to diagnostic testing, treatment and scientific information.

“Public health is strengthened through information, prevention and human rights, not through punishment”, they stated, acknowledging the work that made the reform in Baja California possible.

At the state level, the group recalled that it has on several occasions called on the Tlaxcala State Congress to repeal Article 302 of the local Criminal Code, as it considers that its continued existence contributes to the criminalisation of and prejudice against people living with HIV.

It therefore called on the members of the 65th Legislature to review the legal framework and promote the necessary reforms to ensure full respect for the rights of this section of the population.

The group maintained that legislative progress must be accompanied by public policies based on scientific evidence, prevention and medical care, rather than punitive measures that deepen social rejection.

Finally, it reiterated that the institutional response to HIV must focus on public health and human dignity, and therefore emphasised the need to remove legal provisions which, in its view, perpetuate stigma and discrimination.


El Colectivo LGBTTTI+ Tlaxcala pidió a la 65 Legislatura derogar el artículo 302 del Código Penal local, tras la eliminación del artículo 160 en Baja California.

La derogación de disposiciones penales que sancionan el llamado peligro de contagio en Baja California reavivó el llamado del Colectivo LGBTTTI+ Tlaxcala al Congreso local para impulsar cambios legales que protejan los derechos de las personas que viven con VIH.

La organización celebró la decisión del Congreso bajacaliforniano de eliminar el artículo 160 de su Código Penal, al considerar que representa un paso importante para combatir la discriminación y el estigma que enfrentan quienes viven con el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) y otras infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS).

A través de su posicionamiento, activistas destacaron la participación de organizaciones civiles y personas con VIH en la lucha por modificar leyes que consideran contrarias a los derechos humanos. Asimismo, señalaron que la atención de esta problemática debe priorizar la prevención, el acceso a pruebas diagnósticas, el tratamiento y la información científica.

“La salud pública se fortalece con información, prevención y derechos humanos, no con castigos”, expresaron al reconocer el trabajo que hizo posible la reforma en Baja California.

En el ámbito estatal, el colectivo recordó que ha solicitado en distintas ocasiones al Congreso de Tlaxcala la derogación del artículo 302 del Código Penal local, al considerar que su permanencia contribuye a la criminalización y al prejuicio contra las personas que viven con VIH.

Por ello, llamó a las y los integrantes de la 65 Legislatura a revisar el marco jurídico y promover las reformas necesarias para garantizar el respeto pleno a los derechos de este sector de la población.

La agrupación sostuvo que los avances legislativos deben acompañarse de políticas públicas basadas en evidencia científica, prevención y atención médica, en lugar de medidas punitivas que profundicen el rechazo social.

Finalmente, reiteró que la respuesta institucional frente al VIH debe centrarse en la salud pública y la dignidad humana, por lo que insistió en la necesidad de eliminar las disposiciones legales que, desde su perspectiva, perpetúan el estigma y la discriminación.

Mexico: Yucatán repeals HIV exposure law from its criminal code

State Parliament repeals “Crime of transmission” law that discriminated against people living with HIV

Translated with DEEPL – Scroll down for article in Spanish

The State Congress approved the resolution repealing the “crime of risk of infection” from the Criminal Code and amending Yucatán’s legal framework to combat the discrimination faced by people living with HIV. The proposal was spearheaded by Morena legislator Clara Paola Rosales Montiel, who drafted it in collaboration with civil society.

In calling for a vote in favour of this reform, the MP emphasised that living with HIV is not a crime and must never be grounds for discrimination.

“We cannot continue to allow stigma, prejudice and criminalisation to become obstacles preventing people from living with dignity and fully exercising their human rights. To talk about HIV is also to talk about people, stories, families and lives. It is to talk about those who, for years, have had to face the fear of being singled out, rejected or discriminated against,” she said.

She explained that it has been proven that maintaining provisions such as the offence of risk of transmission fuels stigma and prejudice, and becomes a barrier to prevention, detection and healthcare.

In this regard, he emphasised that laws must not perpetuate fear or discrimination, but must instead help to build a society where people can access information, prevention, diagnosis and treatment without fear of being singled out.

For this reason, he added, this ruling sends a clear message that the Yucatán Congress is listening to the public and that its members are committed to drafting laws that protect, support and respect the dignity of all people.

During her address from the floor of the plenary chamber, Clara Rosales acknowledged the work of activists, collectives and civil society organisations which, for years, have raised their voices, stood alongside those living with HIV and insisted that this debate had to reach the Yucatán Congress.

“When a legislature dares to discuss what was once a taboo, when it listens to society and when it transforms those voices into rights, it is making history,” she declared.

It is worth noting that the ruling provided for the repeal of the offence of risk of infection, set out in Article 189 of the Criminal Code, as well as amending and strengthening the Yucatán Law to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination in relation to HIV and the Law on the Prevention and Control of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections.

“Let’s continue to make history: a history in which no one has to live in fear of being discriminated against, criminalised or stigmatised because of a health condition,” he concluded.


Deroga congreso del Estado “delito de contagio” que discriminaba a personas con VIH  

El Congreso del Estado aprobó el dictamen por medio de cual se derogó el delito de peligro de contagio del Código Penal y se realizaron modificaciones al marco normativo de Yucatán para combatir la discriminación que enfrentan personas que viven con VIH, propuesta que fue impulsada por la legisladora de Morena, Clara Paola Rosales Montiel, quien la construyó de la mano de la sociedad civil.

Al solicitar el voto a favor de esta reforma, la diputada recalcó que vivir con VIH no es un delito y nunca debe ser motivo de discriminación.

“No podemos seguir permitiendo que el estigma, los prejuicios y la criminalización se conviertan en obstáculos para que las personas puedan vivir con dignidad y ejercer plenamente sus derechos humanos. Hablar de VIH también es hablar de personas, de historias, de familias y de vidas. Es hablar de quienes durante años han tenido que enfrentar el miedo a ser señalados, rechazados o discriminados”, sostuvo.

Explicó que está comprobado que mantener este tipo de figuras, como el delito de peligro de contagio, alimenta el estigma y los prejuicios, y se convierte en una barrera para la prevención, la detección y la atención de la salud.

En ese sentido, enfatizó que las leyes no deben reproducir el miedo ni la discriminación, sino que tienen que ayudar a construir una sociedad donde las personas puedan acceder a información, prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento sin temor a ser señaladas.

Por tal razón, agregó, este dictamen representa un mensaje claro de que desde el Congreso de Yucatán se escucha a la ciudadanía y que las diputadas y los diputados están dispuestos a construir leyes que protejan, acompañen y respeten la dignidad de todas las personas.

Durante su mensaje en la Tribuna del Pleno, Clara Rosales reconoció el trabajo de activistas, colectivos y organizaciones de la sociedad civil que durante años han levantado la voz, han acompañado a quienes viven con VIH y han insistido en que esta discusión tenía que llegar a este Congreso.

“Cuando una legislatura se atreve a discutir lo que antes era un tabú, cuando escucha a la sociedad y cuando transforma esas voces en derechos, está haciendo historia”, declaró.

Cabe mencionar que el dictamen estableció derogar el delito de peligro de contagio, previsto en el artículo 189 del Código Penal, además de que reformó y fortaleció la Ley para Prevenir y Eliminar la Discriminación de Yucatán en materia de VIH y la Ley para la Prevención y Control del Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana, Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida y Otras Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual.

“Sigamos haciendo historia: Una historia en la que nadie tenga que vivir con miedo a ser discriminado, criminalizado o señalado por una condición de salud”, finalizó

Canada: Canadian Bar Association Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance Section calls for Criminal Code reform

Criminal Code reform needed to address HIV non-disclosure prosecutions

Scroll down to read the submission in French.

The Honourable Sean Fraser, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington St.
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8

Dear Minister Fraser,

Re: Request for Criminal Code Reform regarding HIV Non-Disclosure

I am writing on behalf of the Canadian Bar Association Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance Section, known as SAGDA (the CBA Section), to address the issue that HIV non-disclosure remains subject to prosecution under the Criminal Code and to ask that the government consider amending provisions that are disproportionate in most situations of non-disclosure.

The CBA is a national association of over 40,000 members, including lawyers, law students, notaries and academics, and our mandate includes seeking improvement in the law and the administration of justice. SAGDA addresses the concerns of two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (2SLGBTQI+) people in the CBA and provides a forum for the exchange of information, ideas and action on legal issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current Legal Framework

While HIV non-disclosure is not addressed through a discrete provision in the Criminal Code, by precedent, it has been prosecuted under the law of aggravated sexual assault under section 273, on the basis that consent is vitiated by fraud under section 265(3)(c). 1 The governing framework, shaped by R v Mabior and R v D.C., turns on whether there is a “realistic possibility of transmission.”2

This approach relies on broad statutory language and judicial interpretation rather than clear legislative direction. It results in the use of one of the most serious offences in the Criminal Code, with significant penal consequences, in circumstances that may involve no violence and little or no risk of harm.

This framework raises concerns about overbreadth, proportionality, and legal coherence. Sexual assault provisions are designed to address inherently violent and non-consensual conduct. The use of these provisions to prosecute cases of non-disclosure of HIV status carries risks of conflating non-disclosure with violence. Current scientific consensus establishes that individuals living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load do not transmit the virus through sexual activity.3 Accordingly, legislative reform should align criminal liability with contemporary scientific evidence regarding HIV transmission risk.

Continued criminalization also reinforces the historic stigma attached to HIV. Treating non-disclosure as sexual assault labels people living with HIV as sexual offenders, which discourages testing (some reason that a person cannot be prosecuted for a status they do not know) and engagement with treatment. More broadly, criminalization shapes public attitudes, casting HIV as a crime rather than a manageable health condition.

Inconsistency in Prosecutorial Approaches

At the federal level, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued a directive in 2018 limiting prosecutions where there is no realistic possibility of transmission (e.g., where a person has maintained a suppressed viral load, where condoms were used or where only oral sex took place). 4 However, that directive applies only to federal prosecutions, mainly in the territories. Provincial approaches remain uneven.5 Ontario’s directive (2017) provides that charges will not proceed where the person has maintained a suppressed viral load for six months, or where a condom was used and the viral load was low. British Columbia’s policy (2019) takes a similar approach and also excludes cases involving only oral sex. Quebec has issued an “institutional position” (2020), not a formal directive, which excludes prosecution only where viral load is suppressed. Alberta has no formal directive; only informal guidance communicated in a 2019 letter. The other provinces appear to have no published guidance at all.

The case law has not resolved these concerns. In Mabior, the Supreme Court held that low viral load combined with condom use negates a realistic possibility of transmission, while noting that the test may adapt “to future advances in treatment.”6 In R v J.M., the Ontario Court of Appeal set aside a conviction where the accused had an undetectable viral load, but declined to adopt a general rule beyond the circumstances of the actual case.7 People living with HIV must therefore still prove, case by case and after being charged, that their conduct posed no realistic risk.

Previous Review and Consultation

In 2019, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights recommended that the Government of Canada end the use of sexual assault law in HIV non-disclosure cases and confine the criminal law to cases involving transmission of HIV.8

Between October 2022 and January 2023, the Department of Justice consulted Canadians on the options for reform, including whether sexual assault offences are appropriate in these cases, whether intent to transmit or actual transmission should be required, whether the criminal law should apply where precautions were taken, and whether a new HIV- or STI-specific offence should be created.9 The Department’s “What We Heard” report found that a significant majority (85%) of respondents, including legal experts, health professionals, academics and people living with HIV, supported ensuring that sexual assault offences are not used where the sole issue is HIV non-disclosure.10

In 2023, the CBA Section wrote to the Department of Justice on HIV criminalization endorsing the 2022 Community Consensus Statement issued by the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization.11  The Section’s position was, and remains, that sexual assault law should not apply to HIV non-disclosure and that criminal liability should require both intent and actual transmission.

In February 2026, the Government Representative in the Senate acknowledged that the current approach “has had serious and harmful consequences,” stating that “Canada publicly endorses the science behind ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable,’ and the law must reflect modern science, fairness and sound public health evidence.”12 Despite this record, no legislation has been introduced and no timeline has been set.

Need for Reform

Legislative reform is needed because prosecutorial directives and case law cannot resolve these concerns. Directives do not change the substantive law, and courts can only proceed case by case. Where the realistic possibility test is met, the conduct remains aggravated sexual assault, which carries a maximum of life imprisonment and may result in sex offender registration.

Requiring both intent and actual transmission confines the criminal law to the most blameworthy conduct, without leaving deliberate wrongdoing unaddressed: a person who intends to transmit HIV but does not succeed may still be prosecuted for attempt under section 24, as in R v Williams.13

The Justice Committee proposed the creation of a specific offence concerning infectious disease non-disclosure where actual transmission occurs. The CBA Section shares the Committee’s objective of removing HIV non-disclosure from the law of sexual assault and limiting the criminal law to circumstances involving actual harm. However, creating a new offence directed specifically at infectious disease transmission may be unnecessary and risks perpetuating the exceptional treatment and stigmatization of people living with HIV (or other sexually transmitted or blood borne infections). Where actual transmission causes bodily harm and the requisite elements of an existing Criminal Code offence are established, offences of general application, such as aggravated assault, may provide an appropriate basis for prosecution.

Recommendations

Considering the above, the CBA Section recommends that the Government of Canada:

  1. Amend section 265 of the Criminal Code to clarify that non-disclosure of HIV status does not, on its own, vitiate consent as fraud under paragraph 265(3)(c). As a result, sexual assault offences, including aggravated sexual assault under section 273, would not apply where the only issue is HIV non-disclosure.
  2. Amend section 265 of the Criminal Code to create one narrow exception to this rule. Non-disclosure of HIV status should only vitiate consent in cases in which there was the intention to transmit HIV and actual transmission of HIV occurred. In those cases, the accused should be prosecuted under a non-sexual offence of general application, such as aggravated assault, rather than for sexual assault.

Conclusion

The 2019 Justice Committee report and 2023 consultation process provide a strong foundation for reform. Legislative reform in this area would better align the Criminal Code with contemporary science, promote consistency across jurisdictions, and ensure that criminal liability is imposed in a manner that is fair, proportionate, and principled.

We would welcome the opportunity to engage further on this issue.

Sincerely,

(Yasmin Khaliq for Anastacia Deslauriers and Brian Yuen)

Anastacia Deslauriers
Chair, National SAGDA Section

Brian Yuen
HIV Advocacy Working Group
Member, National SAGDA Section

CC: Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State
(Small Business and Tourism) for Women and Gender Equality Canada rechie.valdez@parl.gc.ca

Acting Director for the 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat, Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) Jennifer.Collins@fegc-wage.gc.ca

Director General of the Social Affairs Branch, Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) Marc-Andre.Millaire@fegc-wage.gc.ca

End Notes

1    See Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, ss 265(3)(c), 273, under which charges for aggravated sexual assault may arise where consent is vitiated by fraud.

2    R v Mabior, 2012 SCC 47, [2012] 2 SCR 584 [Mabior]; R v DC, 2012 SCC 48, [2012] 2 SCR 626.

3    Alison J Rodger et al, “Risk of HIV Transmission Through Condomless Sex in Serodifferent Gay Couples with the HIV-Positive Partner Taking Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy (PARTNER): Final Results of a Multicentre, Prospective, Observational Study” (2019) 393:10189 Lancet 2428; Benjamin R Bavinton et al, “Viral Suppression and HIV Transmission in Serodiscordant Male Couples: An International, Prospective, Observational, Cohort Study” (2018) 5:8 Lancet HIV e438.

4    Public Prosecution Service of Canada, “5.12 Prosecutions involving Non-Disclosure of HIV Status”, (8 December 2018) online.

5    See e.g. Ontario, Ministry of the Attorney General, Crown Prosecution Manual, “D. 34: Sexual Offences Against Adults” (1 December 2017), online; British Columbia Prosecution Service, Crown Counsel Policy Manual, “Sexual Transmission, or Realistic Possibility of Transmission, of HIV” (SEX 2) (16 April 2019), online; Québec, Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, Position institutionnelle : poursuites criminelles en matière d’exposition au VIH et de non-divulgation de la séropositivité (16 October 2020), online; and, for Alberta’s informal guidance, Letter from Eric Tolppanen, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Crown Prosecution Service Division, Alberta Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General, to Richard Elliott, Executive Director, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (18 January 2019), cited in HIV Justice Network, “Alberta” (last visited 23 September 2026), online.

6    Mabior, supra note 2 at para 95.

7    R v J.M., 2022 ONCA 615.

8    House of Commons, Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, The Criminalization of HIV Non-Disclosure in Canada (June 2019) (Chair: Anthony Housefather), online.

9    Government of Canada Consultation “HIV  Non-disclosure”, online.

10 Department of Justice Canada, What We Heard Report: HIV Non-Disclosure Public Consultation (Ottawa: Department of Justice Canada, [7 December 2023]), online.

11 CBA Submission “HIV nondisclosure public consultation” (15 February 2023), online; Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization, 2022 Community Consensus Statement, July 2022, online.

12 Senate, Debates, 45th Parl, 1st Sess, No 54 (26 February 2026) (Hon Kristopher Wells and Hon Pierre Moreau), online.

13 R v Williams, 2003 SCC 41, [2003] 2 SCR 134.


Une réforme du Code criminel est nécessaire pour traiter les poursuites liées à la non-divulgation du VIH

L’honorable Sean Fraser, C.P., député

Ministre de la Justice et procureur général du Canada

Ministère de la Justice Canada

284, rue Wellington

Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0H8

Objet : Demande de réforme du Code criminel en ce qui a trait à la non-divulgation de la séropositivité

Monsieur le Ministre Fraser,

Je vous écris au nom de la Section de l’Alliance de la diversité sexuelle et des genres de l’Association du Barreau canadien, connu sous le nom d’ADSG (la section de l’ABC) au sujet de la non-divulgation de la séropositivité, qui demeure passible de poursuites en vertu du Code criminel. Nous exhortons le gouvernement à modifier les dispositions applicables afin de remédier aux conséquences disproportionnées qu’elles entraînent dans la plupart de ces situations.

L’ABC est une association nationale qui regroupe plus de 40 000 membres, y compris des juristes, des étudiants et étudiantes en droit, des notaires et des universitaires. Son mandat consiste, notamment, à promouvoir l’amélioration du droit et de l’administration de la justice. La section de l’Alliance de la diversité sexuelle et des genres représente les intérêts des personnes bispirituelles, lesbiennes, gaies, bisexuelles, transgenres, queers et intersexuées (+2ELGBTQI) au sein de l’ABC. Elle leur offre également un forum favorisant l’échange d’information et d’idées ainsi qu’un cadre d’action sur les questions juridiques liées à l’orientation sexuelle et à l’identité de genre.

Cadre juridique actuel

Bien qu’aucune disposition distincte du Code criminel ne vise expressément la non-divulgation de la séropositivité, la jurisprudence permet, selon les précédents, que des poursuites pour agression sexuelle grave soient intentées en vertu de l’article 273 lorsque le consentement est vicié par la fraude au sens de l’alinéa 265(3)c)1. Le cadre juridique applicable, établi par les arrêts R c Mabior et R c D.C., repose sur l’existence d’une « possibilité réaliste de transmission »2.

Cette approche repose sur l’application de dispositions législatives générales et l’interprétation des tribunaux, plutôt que sur une orientation législative claire. Elle peut mener à l’application de l’une des infractions les plus graves prévues au Code criminel, assortie de lourdes conséquences pénales, dans des circonstances où il peut n’y avoir aucune violence et où le risque de préjudice est faible, voire inexistant.

Ce cadre suscite d’importantes préoccupations quant à sa portée excessive, à sa proportionnalité et à sa cohérence juridique. Les dispositions relatives aux agressions sexuelles visent des actes intrinsèquement violents et non consensuels. L’application de ces dispositions aux cas de non-divulgation du statut séropositif risque d’assimiler l’omission d’une divulgation à la violence. Le consensus scientifique actuel établit que les personnes vivant avec le VIH qui maintiennent une charge virale indétectable ne transmettent pas le virus lors d’activités sexuelles3. En conséquence, la réforme législative devrait faire correspondre la responsabilité criminelle aux preuves scientifiques actuelles concernant le risque de transmission du VIH.

La criminalisation persistante contribue également à perpétuer la stigmatisation traditionnellement associée au VIH. Assimiler la non-divulgation à une agression sexuelle revient à présenter les personnes vivant avec le VIH comme des délinquants sexuels, ce qui peut les dissuader de se faire dépister (certaines personnes pouvant estimer qu’elles ne peuvent être poursuivies pour un état de santé dont elles ignorent l’existence) et d’entreprendre ou de poursuivre un traitement. Plus généralement, la criminalisation contribue à façonner les perceptions du public en présentant le VIH comme une infraction criminelle plutôt que comme un problème de santé pouvant être pris en charge.

Manque d’uniformité des approches en matière de poursuites

Pour les poursuites relevant de la compétence fédérale, le Service des poursuites pénales du Canada a publié, en 2018, une directive limitant les poursuites lorsqu’il n’existe aucune possibilité réaliste de transmission (par exemple, lorsqu’une personne a maintenu une charge virale supprimée, que des condoms ont été utilisés ou qu’il n’y a eu que des relations sexuelles orales).4 Toutefois, cette directive ne s’applique qu’aux poursuites fédérales, principalement dans les territoires. Les approches adoptées par les provinces demeurent inégales.5 La directive de l’Ontario (2017) prévoit qu’aucune accusation ne sera portée lorsque la personne a maintenu une charge virale supprimée pendant six mois ou lorsqu’un condom a été utilisé et que la charge virale était faible. La politique de la Colombie-Britannique (2019) adopte une approche similaire et exclut également les cas où il n’y a eu que des relations sexuelles orales. Le Québec a publié une « position institutionnelle » (2020), plutôt qu’une directive officielle, qui exclut les poursuites uniquement lorsque la charge virale est supprimée. L’Alberta n’a pas de directive officielle; seules des lignes directrices informelles qui ont été communiquées dans une lettre de 2019. Les autres provinces ne semblent avoir publié aucune directive à ce sujet.

La jurisprudence n’a pas permis de dissiper ces préoccupations. Dans l’arrêt Mabior, la Cour suprême a conclu qu’une charge virale faible combinée à l’utilisation d’un préservatif écarte la possibilité réaliste de transmission du VIH, tout en précisant que le critère pourrait « s’adapter aux avancées thérapeutiques ».6 Dans l’arrêt R. v. J.M., la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario a infirmé une déclaration de culpabilité dans un cas où l’accusé avait une charge virale indétectable, mais a refusé d’établir une règle générale allant au-delà des circonstances de l’affaire dont elle était saisie.7 Les personnes vivant avec le VIH doivent donc toujours démontrer, au cas par cas, et après avoir été accusées, que leur comportement ne comportait aucun risque réaliste de transmission.

Examen et consultations antérieurs

En 2019, le Comité permanent de la justice et des droits de la personne de la Chambre des communes a recommandé que le gouvernement du Canada mette fin au recours au droit relatif aux agressions sexuelles dans les affaires de non-divulgation du VIH et limite l’application du droit pénal aux cas où il a transmission du VIH.8

Entre octobre 2022 et janvier 2023, le ministère de la Justice a consulté la population canadienne sur les options de réforme, notamment sur la question de savoir si les infractions d’agression sexuelle sont appropriées dans ces cas, s’il devait être nécessaire de démontrer l’intention de transmettre le VIH ou une transmission effective, si le droit pénal devait s’appliquer lorsque des précautions ont été prises et s’il y aurait lieu de créer une nouvelle infraction visant spécifiquement le VIH ou les ITS.9 Le Rapport – Bilan de la consultation du ministère de la Justice indiquait qu’une forte majorité des personnes (85 %) ayant participé à la consultation, notamment des juristes, des professionnels de la santé, des universitaires et des personnes vivant avec le VIH, appuyaient des modifications visant à empêcher le recours aux infractions d’agression sexuelle lorsque la non-divulgation de la séropositivité constitue le seul élément en cause.10

En 2023, la section de l’ABC a écrit au ministère de la Justice sur la criminalisation de la non-divulgation de la séropositivité, appuyant la Déclaration de consensus communautaire de 2022 publiée par la Coalition canadienne pour réformer la criminalisation du VIH. 11 La section était, et demeure en faveur du fait que le droit relatif aux agressions sexuelles ne devrait pas s’appliquer aux cas de non-divulgation de la séropositivité et que la responsabilité criminelle devrait être subordonnée à la fois à l’intention de transmettre le VIH et à sa transmission effective.

En février 2026, le représentant du gouvernement au Sénat a reconnu que l’approche « a eu des conséquences graves et néfastes », déclarant que « le Canada appuie publiquement les fondements scientifiques selon lesquels un virus indétectable n’est pas transmissible, et la loi doit refléter les données scientifiques modernes, l’équité et les données fiables en matière de santé publique ».12 Malgré ce bilan, aucun projet de loi n’a été présenté et aucun échéancier n’a été établi.

Nécessité d’une réforme

Une réforme législative s’impose, car les directives destinées aux poursuivants et la jurisprudence ne peuvent répondre à ces préoccupations. Les directives ne modifient pas le droit substantiel, et les tribunaux ne peuvent statuer qu’au cas par cas. Lorsque le critère de la possibilité réaliste de transmission du VIH est rempli, les actes demeurent constitutifs d’une agression sexuelle grave, infraction passible d’une peine maximale d’emprisonnement à perpétuité et pouvant entraîner l’inscription au registre des délinquants sexuels.

Le fait d’exiger à la fois l’intention et la transmission effective limite l’application du droit pénal aux comportements les plus répréhensibles, sans pour autant laisser impunis les actes délibérés. Une personne qui a l’intention de transmettre le VIH, mais qui n’y parvient pas, peut néanmoins être poursuivie pour tentative en vertu de l’article 24, comme dans l’arrêt R. c Williams.13

Le Comité de la justice a proposé la création d’une infraction particulière liée à la non-divulgation d’une maladie infectieuse lorsqu’une transmission effective survient. La section de l’ABC souscrit à l’objectif du Comité, qui consiste à soustraire la non-divulgation de la séropositivité au droit applicable aux agressions sexuelles et à limiter l’application du droit pénal aux situations entraînant un préjudice réel. Toutefois, la création d’une nouvelle infraction liée à la transmission d’une maladie infectieuse pourrait être inutile et risque de perpétuer le traitement d’exception et la stigmatisation des personnes vivant avec le VIH (ou d’autres infections transmissibles sexuellement ou par le sang). Lorsque la transmission effective cause des lésions corporelles et que les éléments constitutifs d’une infraction prévue au Code criminel sont établis, des infractions d’application générale, comme l’agression grave, pourraient constituer un fondement approprié pour intenter des poursuites.

Recommandations

Compte tenu de ce qui précède, la section de l’ABC recommande au gouvernement du Canada les mesures suivantes :

  1. Modifier l’article 265 du Code criminel afin de préciser que la non-divulgation de la séropositivité, à elle seule, ne vicie pas le consentement au titre de la fraude en vertu de l’alinéa 256(3)c). Par conséquent, les infractions d’agression sexuelle, y compris l’agression sexuelle grave prévue à l’article 273, ne s’appliqueraient pas lorsque la seule question en litige est la non-divulgation de la séropositivité.
  2. Modifier l’article 265 du Code criminel afin de prévoir une exception limitée à cette règle. La non-divulgation de la séropositivité ne devrait vicier le consentement que dans les cas où il y avait intention de transmettre le VIH et où la transmission a effectivement eu lieu. Dans ces cas, l’accusé devrait être poursuivi en vertu d’une infraction non sexuelle d’application générale, comme les voies de fait graves, plutôt que pour agression sexuelle.

Conclusion

Le rapport du Comité permanent de la justice et des droits de la personne de 2019 ainsi que le processus de consultation mené en 2023 constituent une assise solide pour entreprendre une réforme. Une réforme législative dans ce domaine permettrait de mieux harmoniser le Code criminel avec les données scientifiques actuelles, de favoriser l’uniformité entre les ressorts et de veiller à ce que la responsabilité criminelle soit imposée de manière juste, proportionnée et fondée sur des principes.

Nous serions heureux de poursuivre le dialogue sur cette question.

Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur le Ministre, l’assurance de notre considération distinguée.

(Yasmin Khaliq, au nom d’Anastacia Deslauriers et de Brian Yuen)

Anastacia Deslauriers
Présidente, section sur l’Alliance de la diversité sexuelle et des genres

Brian Yuen
Groupe de travail sur la représentation des droits liés au VIH
Membre, section sur l’Alliance de la diversité sexuelle et des genres

CC : Ministre des Femmes et de l’Égalité des genres et secrétaire d’État aux Petites Entreprises et au Tourisme, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada (FEGC) rechie.valdez@parl.gc.ca

Directrice par intérim, Secrétariat +2ELGBTQI, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada (FEGC) Jennifer.Collins@fegc-wage.gc.ca

Directeur général, Affaires sociales pour Femmes et égalité des genres Canada (FEGC) Marc-Andre.Millaire@fegc-wage.gc.ca

Fin de notes

1 Voir Code criminel, L.R.C. (1985), ch. C-46, al. 265(3)c) et art. 273, en vertu desquels des accusations d’agression sexuelle grave peuvent être portées lorsque le consentement est vicié par la fraude.

2 R. c. Mabior, 2012 CSC 47, [2012] 2 R.C.S. 584 [Mabior]; R. c. D.C., 2012 CSC 48, [2012] 2 R.C.S. 626.

3 Alison J. Rodger et al., « Risk of HIV Transmission Through Condomless Sex in Serodifferent Gay Couples with the HIV-Positive Partner Taking Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy (PARTNER): Final Results of a Multicentre, Prospective, Observational Study » (2019) 393:10189 The Lancet 2428; Benjamin R. Bavinton et al., « Viral Suppression and HIV Transmission in Serodiscordant Male Couples: An International, Prospective, Observational, Cohort Study » (2018) 5:8 The Lancet HIV e438.

4 Service des poursuites pénales du Canada, « 5.12 Poursuites impliquant la non-divulgation de la séropositivité » (8 décembre 2018) en ligne.

5 Voir, par exemple, ministère du Procureur général de l’Ontario, Manuel de poursuite de la Couronne, « D. 34 : Infractions d’ordre sexuel contre des adultes » (1er décembre 2017), en ligne; British Columbia Prosecution Service, Crown Counsel Policy Manual, « Sexual Transmission, or Realistic Possibility of Transmission, of HIV » (SEX 2) (16 avril 2019), en ligne (disponible uniquement en anglais); Québec, Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, Position institutionnelle : poursuites criminelles en matière d’exposition au VIH et de non-divulgation de la séropositivité (16 octobre 2020), en ligne; et, pour les directives informelles de l’Alberta, lettre d’Eric Tolppanen, sous-ministre adjoint, Alberta Crown Prosecution Service Division, ministère de la Justice et du Solliciteur général de l’Alberta, à Richard Elliott, directeur général du Réseau juridique canadien VIH/sida (18 janvier 2019), citée dans HIV Justice Network, « Alberta » (dernière consultation le 23 septembre 2026), en ligne.

6 Mabior, précité, note 2, au par. 95, en ligne.

7 R c J.M., 2022 ONCA 615.

8 Chambre des communes, Comité permanent de la justice et des droits de la personne, La criminalisation de la non-divulgation du VIH au Canada (juin 2019) (président : Anthony Housefather), en ligne.

9 Consultation du gouvernement du Canada : « Non-divulgation de la séropositivité » (20 octobre 2022), en ligne.

10 Ministère de la Justice du Canada, Rapport – Bilan de la consultation publique sur la non-divulgation de la séropositivité (Ottawa : ministère de la Justice du Canada, [7 décembre 2023]), en ligne.

11 Mémoire de l’ABC « HIV non-disclosure public consultation » (15 février 2023), en ligne (disponible uniquement en anglais); Coalition canadienne pour réformer la criminalisation du VIH, Déclaration de consensus 2022, juillet 2022, en ligne.

12 Sénat, Débats, 1re sess, 45e lég, no 54 (26 février 2026) (hon. Kristopher Wells et hon. Pierre Moreau), en ligne.

13 R c. Williams, 2003 CSC 41, [2003] 2 RCS 134.

US: Ohio advocates launch first Advocacy Day for HIV law reform

HIV decriminalization supporters to hold first-ever Advocacy Day at Ohio Statehouse

Ohio still has six laws on the books that criminalize living with HIV. And the laws are actively enforced.

HIV decriminalization advocates will hold an inaugural Advocacy Day on November 17 at the Ohio Statehouse to put legislative pressure on lawmakers to modernize state laws that unnecessarily target and punish people living with HIV.

Ohio has six laws that criminalize certain acts – including sex – for people living with HIV, or that substantially increase sentences for them compared to people who do not have the virus. These laws impose stiff penalties – regardless of whether the virus is or can be transmitted, and even in some cases where transmission is not scientifically possible. In some situations, the law also requires sex offender registration.

Many states have taken steps to modernize their HIV laws.

“We’re been really inspired by some of the policy wins we’re seeing in other states like North Dakota, Maryland and Louisiana, and we think the environment is perfect right now to do the same in Ohio,” said Josh Meek, steering committee member of the Ohio Health Modernization Movement (OHMM), a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to modernizing outdated HIV Laws in Ohio

According to a 2024 study released by OHMM and the Equality Ohio Education Fund, from 2014 to 2020, there were at least 214 confirmed HIV-related prosecutions in Ohio, of which over half (120 cases) came from the state’s “harassment with a bodily substance” law and about a third (77 cases) came under Ohio’s felonious assault law. The remainder (17 cases) were related to sex work.

Additionally, the research shows that Ohio’s HIV criminalization laws disproportionately impact Black communities, with at least 36% of defendants identifying as Black. Statewide, 29% of all defendants (62 people) were Black men.

Advocacy Day will give supporters, individuals living with HIV and experts in health policy and criminal justice the opportunity to meet in groups directly with elected officials. A catered lunch will feature a speakers panel on the need for HIV decriminalization, rounding out the day that organizers say is as much about a learning opportunity as it will be about advocacy. 

“For some legislators, this might be their first time they’re ever knowingly meeting with someone living with HIV,” said Meek.

The ultimate goal of Advocacy Day is to bring about legislation that modernizes the outdated laws. Republican Rep. Sara Carruthers proposed a pair of modernization bills in 2024, but they did not make it past a first reading. 

Although advocates aren’t yet ready to identify the names of specific legislators who might champion new bills, they say the appetite for reform is definitely present. 

“There are both Democrats and Republicans who are interested in talking about HIV and who recognize that we have penalties on the books that are excessive,” said Meek. “They know we’re not trying to move heaven and earth but are just trying to create what is more sensible and equitable for all Ohioans.”

In addition to encouraging people to register for Advocacy Day, advocates are urging more Ohioans to get involved with OHMM – whether that’s through helping educate their community, reaching out to their elected representatives or writing an op-ed to their local newspaper.

“HIV is not a death sentence, and we’ve made great strides in science, technology and understanding what HIV really is,” said Meek. “More people need to know that before we can make some needed change.” 🔥


IGNITE ACTION
  • The Ohio Health Modernization Movements’s Advocacy Day will be held on Tuesday, November 17, at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Register to attend here. 
  • Prior to Advocacy Day, OHMM will hold a “Speak Up With Confidence: Media Training and How to Talk to Legislators” virtual session on October 26 at 6 p.m. (register here) and an “Advocacy Day Q&A: What to Know Before You Go” virtual session on November 9 at 6 p.m. (register here). 

US: Pennsylvania’s HIV Decriminalization Law comes under fire from activists

“Profound Disappointment” at Pennsylvania’s Updated HIV Crime Law

UPDATE: Pennsylvania just passed a law to decriminalize being HIV positive, but AIDS activists say it harms another marginalized group.

UPDATE: As we reported earlier this week, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 45 (SB45) into law on July 20. The legislation eliminates harsher legal penalties for people simply because they are HIV positive, referred to as HIV criminalization. The law was promoted as a victory for HIV activists.

But now several HIV organizations are speaking out against aspects of the law. They point out that it targets sex workers. What’s more, the HIV advocacy groups clarify that they were not consulted in drafting the Pennsylvania legislation.

A Facebook post by HIV activist Waheeda Shabazz-El and several advocacy groups begins by stating:

The Pennsylvania HIV Justice Alliance goes on record expressing our profound disappointment with the passage of PA Senate Bill 45.

While the legislation modernizes portions of Pennsylvania’s criminal code related to HIV, it does so at the dangerously unacceptable expense of sex workers, who will face increased criminalization and harm under this law. Progress for one marginalized community should never come at the cost of another. Our celebration is tempered by the reality that this progress came at a devastating cost.

You can read the entire statement on Facebook:

In addition, an open letter was penned by CHLP (The Center for HIV Law and Policy), Positive Women’s Network–USA and the Sero Project. It reads in part:

SB45 was ultimately an overhaul of the Pennsylvania criminal code pertaining to “prostitution.” It transfers most “prostitution” related offenses out of the “public indecency” section and into the “human trafficking” section of the criminal code. It also reduces some criminal charges while increasing others.…

SB45 achieves important, positive outcomes. SB45 removed the HIV felony sentence for sex workers living with HIV. Previously, if a person living with HIV was convicted of “prostitution,” their penalty was upgraded to a felony simply because of their HIV status. It was HIV discrimination written into the Pennsylvania criminal code, and we are thrilled it was removed.…

SB45 shifts prosecutorial authority and conflates sex work and trafficking.…

SB45 increases penalties for “promoters” or “patronizers,” which can harm trafficking survivors or people in the sex trades.…

Our organizations have been involved in coalitions fighting HIV criminalization in Pennsylvania for years and we support, alongside others, the standalone HIV decriminalization bills, HB632 and SB647. SB45, however, is a substantially different piece of legislation. We were not included in the legislative process nor did any of our organizations endorse SB45. Some of our organizations have, nevertheless, been associated with the bill because of the HIV decriminalization components. SB45 has also been touted as a win for the HIV decriminalization movement in the Commonwealth and in the media. For all of these reasons, it is important to make our stance public: We believe a more nuanced perspective is needed.

To reiterate and celebrate: this bill achieves hard fought wins. People living with HIV and HIV advocates have worked for years to introduce legislation that would eliminate the HIV sentence enhancement from the Pennsylvania criminal code. In the past, we have worked alongside powerful HIV decriminalization coalitions and organizations in Pennsylvania, including the Pennsylvania HIV Justice Alliance, the AIDS Law Project, Positive Women’s Network-PA, Girl U Can Do It Inc., Philadelphia FIGHT and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. We celebrate this legacy and work.

We remain deeply concerned, however, about how SB45 will make it harder for sex workers and trafficking survivors to survive by further criminalizing their networks of support. SB45 adopts key features associated with the End Demand model of sex work criminalization. This approach focuses on criminalizing the purchase and promotion of sex work – the “demand” side of the sex trades. It frames all people in the sex trades as “victims”, denies bodily autonomy, and ignores that people can consensually choose to engage in sex work. Ultimately, it aims to end sex work itself by policing and criminalizing people who support or pay sex workers and offers no economic alternative for sex workers. Research shows, however, criminalizing demand does not decrease demand. Instead it forces sex workers further into unsafe conditions, increasing sexual violence, exploitation, and decreasing access to support services.


Below is our original July 30 article about Governor Josh Shapiro’s signing Senate Bill 45 into law and eliminating harsher penalties for people living with HIV:

On July 20, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 45 (SB45) into law, eliminating felony charges for people arrested for prostitution while being HIV positive and removing HIV from the criminal code in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 

Before the signing of SB45, when charged with a crime in Pennsylvania, people living with HIV—especially sex workers—could face harsher penalties because of their HIV status. In Pennsylvania, prostitution is classified as a misdemeanor, but people living with HIV could be charged with a felony and face up to seven years in prison, even when HIV transmission is not possible.

“Living with HIV is not a crime, and HIV criminalization laws have been proven, time and again, not to work for the benefit of the community or in the service of justice,” said Kathleen A. Brady, MD, director of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of HIV Health, in a press release. “In fact, such laws prevent public health agencies from responding effectively to the HIV epidemic by perpetuating stigma, racism, xenophobia, social and economic injustice—while reducing willingness for people to participate in HIV prevention, testing and care.”

HIV criminalization refers to the use of unfair laws to target people who have HIV—notably, African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ people, and women—and to punish them because of their HIV status, not because of their actions. Under outdated laws, people with HIV can be sentenced to prison in cases where HIV was not transmitted and their only crime was allegedly not disclosing their status.

It should be noted that repealing HIV laws does not mean that people can’t be held accountable for intentionally transmitting HIV. Other laws may apply to the situation.

Many HIV laws were passed in the early days of the epidemic, when fear and lack of scientific knowledge about the virus reigned. Fast-forward four decades, and today we know, for instance, that people with HIV who take their meds and maintain an undetectable viral load do not transmit the virus sexually, a fact referred to as Undetectable Equals Untransmittable, or U=U.

In recent years, New Jersey modernized its HIV crime laws. And in 2021, Illinois became the second state to completely repeal its discriminatory HIV crime laws (California did so in 2017). Lawmakers in Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada and Virginia have also updated similar laws. For related articles, see “Breaking HIV Laws: A Roundup of Efforts to Decriminalize HIV,” and “HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day 2026.”

“Criminal penalties for living with HIV have never served an effective law enforcement purpose,” Ronda Goldfein, executive director of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, told Pennsylvania Capital Star. “No credible research has ever linked penalties with reduction in HIV transmission.”

“The signing of SB 45 is an important step toward ending outdated policies rooted in fear and stigma rather than science,” said attorney Tito Valdes, director of LGBTQ+ Affairs for the City of Philadelphia, in a press release. “No one should face harsher treatment under the law because they are living with HIV. We applaud Governor Shapiro and the advocates who worked for years to make this change possible and remain committed to advancing policies that promote dignity, equity and public health for all Philadelphians.”

Mexico: Campaigners press Baja California to vote on HIV law reform

LGBTQ+ collective seeks progress in reform to eliminate crime that criminalizes people with HIV in Baja California

The group called on the State Congress’s Diversity Committee to put the bill seeking to repeal the offence of “risk of transmission” to a vote.

Mexicali, B.C.–The reform to remove the offence of “risk of transmission” from the Baja California Penal Code has been stalled for almost a year, denounced the Arcoíris Collective, which is calling on the State Congress to put it to a vote, arguing that the current legislation criminalises people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Javier Russell, leader of the Colectivo Arcoíris, explained that the amendment was tabled last year and has already gone through the relevant legislative process; however, he stated that it only remains to be brought before the plenary session for a vote, and therefore called on members of the State Congress to stop keeping it “on ice”.

“It is essentially a request to the Baja California Congress’s Diversity Committee to put the bill repealing the ‘risk of contagion’ provision to a vote; this bill was tabled last year and has already gone through the legislative process; all that remains is for it to be voted on,” said the collective’s leader.

Russell pointed out that Article 160 of the State’s Criminal Code penalises people with infectious diseases, a provision which, he asserted, has been rendered obsolete by scientific advances and constitutes a form of discrimination against those living with HIV.

The group’s leader indicated that treatments are now available that enable a person with HIV to achieve an undetectable viral load, thereby reducing the risk of transmission; he therefore considered that maintaining such regulations contradicts scientific knowledge and human rights.

Similarly, Russell recalled that Mexico has made international commitments under the 2030 Agenda to achieve the 95-95-95 target, which aims for 95 per cent of people living with HIV to know their status, for 95 per cent of them to receive treatment, and for 95 per cent of those on treatment to achieve an undetectable viral load.

The activist pointed out that retaining the current laws criminalises people on the basis of their health status and runs counter to these objectives and to the national policies promoted to combat stigma and discrimination.

Finally, Javier Russell reiterated his call to the members of the Diversity Commission to ensure that the bill is debated and put to a vote, given that its approval would bring state legislation into line with scientific advances and the country’s commitments regarding health and human rights.