[update]US: Bill aiming to modernise HIV legislation in Florida clears its second hurdle

Source: South Florida Gay News, Published on March 25, 2019

HIV Modernization Bill Continues to Make Progress in Florida House

An HIV modernization bill, the (HB 79), cleared its second hurdle this week passing the Florida House’s Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly 26-3.

This is the second committee to give the bill a favorable recommendation. It recently passed the House’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee, 10-3.

“We’re really excited by the bipartisan momentum that we’ve seen for this HIV modernization legislation,” said Jon Harris Maurer, Equality Florida’s Public Policy Director. “This is long overdue and it’s exciting to see this being addressed as a criminal justice reform issue and a public health issue.”

Michael Rajner, an HIV rights activist, attributes the newfound support to advocates, stakeholders and people living with HIV meeting with lawmakers to tell their stories.

Rajner said he’s been working toward a bill like this for at least 8 years.

This is the third year this bill has been introduced and there’s been a surge in support. This is also the furthest an HIV modernization has gotten in the Florida Legislature.

“Regardless of which side of the aisle you sit on people want better public safety and better health outcomes and that’s what this bill does,” said Justin Klecha, Deputy Director of SAVE and a member of the Florida HIV Justice Coalition. “This is a fantastic bill that takes a huge step forward reducing stigma around HIV.”

Klecha said most of the opposition comes from a lack of knowledge.

“Legislators don’t know the current science around HIV, or how far we’ve come with the treatments,” Klecha said.

HB 79 must now pass through the Judiciary Committee. While in the Senate, Jason Pizzo (D – Miami), has filed similar legislation (SB 846), but no hearings have been scheduled as of yet.

“This is the first year the legislature is actually taking any actions and votes. We have a tremendous bill sponsor this year, Nick Duran out of Miami, who is incredibly passionate about this,” Rajner said. “We also owe a great deal of thanks to Dr. Hansel Tookes and the medical students at the University of Miami who have been doing a tremendous job of advocating for needle syringe exchange programs statewide and in that process have been educating legislators on HIV.”

The current law does not take into account whether a person actually transmitted HIV. Nor does it matter if a condom was used, or if the person with HIV is on treatment and undetectable.

This new bill would revise the existing law such as defining “Substantial risk of transmission” as “a reasonable probability of disease transmission as proven by competent medical or epidemiological evidence.” The bill would also update outdated language such as changing “sexual intercourse” to “sexual conduct.”

“I think the most profound change is that there would have to be actual intent and transmission of HIV to another individual during sex,” Rajner said.

Other changes include allowing a person who has HIV to donate blood, plasma, organs, skin, or other human tissue as long as a medical professional deems it appropriate. Currently, there are no exceptions so if someone did make such a donation they would be committing a third-degree felony. HB 79 would downgrade the penalty to a first-degree misdemeanor.

“This bill would help modernize Florida’s HIV laws that were written in the mid-80s at the height of the HIV epidemic and haven’t been updated to align with current science on treatment and prevention for HIV,” Maurer said. “I think most strikingly is that the law currently doesn’t account for whether in fact there is any transmission of HIV. So under the current law, a person could be incarcerated for up to 30 years with a third-degree felony, even though there is no transmission of HIV, and scientifically there is no risk of transmission.”

Source: South Florida Gay News, published on March 7, 2019

HIV Modernization Bill Moves Forward In Florida House

An HIV modernization bill, the HIV Prevention Justice Act (HB 79), cleared its first hurdle passing 10-3 in the Florida House’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

Five Republicans and five Democrats voted for the bill.

The current law does not take into account whether a person actually transmitted HIV. Nor does it matter if a condom was used, or if the person with HIV is on treatment and undetectable.

The bill must also pass through the Appropriations Committee and Judiciary Committee.

Senator Jason Pizzo (D – Miami) has filed similar legislation (SB 846) in the Florida Senate.

Nicholas Duran bill aims to modernize HIV law

Equality Florida applauds legislation catching law up to modern science.

Count it a leftover of the AIDS scare in the 1980s: Florida law treats those who knowingly transmit HIV different than any other sexually transmitted disease.

But a bill advancing through the Florida House could de-stigmatize HIV without decriminalizing irresponsible transmission entirely.

“There’s a longstanding stigma with respect to this based on a years-ago understanding as opposed to current health and medical science on the disease,” state Rep. Nicholas Duran said.

He credits it to law written in a time when people worried spitting or sharing a toilet seat with an HIV-positive individual.

This year, the Miami Democrat filed the HIV Prevention Justice Act (HB 79) in hopes of reforming the law. The bill already has favorably passed through the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

If it becomes law, the legislation will reclassify a failure to notify a sexual partner of HIV-positive status as a misdemeanor, instead of a felony.

“This legislation will save lives and take care of the whole community,” said Alejandro Acosta, coordinator for Equality Florida’s HIV Advocacy Project. “It will help decrease HIV stigma, encourage people to get tested, and get into treatment.”

Acosta, who is HIV-positive, said Florida “has a responsibility to match our law with current science.”

That means acknowledging HIV, far from the death sentence it was in the 1980s, can be treated as a chronic condition more on par with asthma or diabetes.

While there are 115,000 people living with HIV in Florida, there were less than 900 deaths from HIV-related causes in the state in 2016.

But the spread of the virus remains a concern, particularly in Florida. The state saw 4,957 documented new transmissions in 2016, according to Equality Florida.

But the impact of the disease remains demographically uneven. Only 22 percent of new transmissions in Florida were for women. Meanwhile, 42 percent were for black individuals and 32 percent were Latino.

And date from the Centers for Disease Control shows the condition still impacts the LGBTQ more than the public as a whole. Gay and bisexual men make up 55 percent of Americans living with HIV.

At current rates, a quarter of all gay and bisexual Latino men will get HIV at some point in their life. Half of gay and bisexual black men will contract the virus.

All this may indicate an importance in being open with sexual partners about having the virus, and Duran doesn’t want failure to disclose information completely decriminalized.

But the severe legal consequence for failing to share information has led to a high number of individuals refusing to get tested for HIV. CDC data suggests 20,000 Floridians have contracted HIV but remain unaware of their status.

In an interview with HIV Plus Magazine in 2017, Acosta declined to say how long he’d had HIV, noting the current laws in Florida open individuals up to legal risk for years.

HIV-positive people can face up to 30 years in prison for failure to disclose their status with a consensual partner, and that risk comes whether the virus gets transmitted or not.

Further, current medical treatments can make HIV medically undetectable, and in turn can make the virus virtually non-transmittable.

It raises the question what obligation should exist for an individual employment safe sex practices has to a partner when there’s virtually no risk of catching HIV from an encounter.

Duran’s bill also addresses some specific issues, like acknowledging the low risk of ever transmitting HIV through oral sex.

States like California have already reduced the penalties for HIV-positive individuals withholding their status.

Efforts to change the law failed in Florida in the past. But Duran hopes a conversation based on current science can catch the law up with modern knowledge.

He notes Hepatitis C poses a greater risk and threat to public health today than HIV. Treating HIV patients as criminals at this point does more harm than good.

“We are going to create smart policy with HIV and STDs,” he said.

Published in FLAPOL on Feb 25, 2019

Zimbabwe: Government plans to repeal overly broad, vague HIV-specific criminal law

Sources: New Zimbabwe and ZimEye – Published on March 20, 2019

Ziyambi: Government to decriminalise wilful transmission of HIV (New Zimbabwe)

JUSTICE Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has revealed plans by government to repeal clauses in the Sexual Offences Act which criminalise the deliberate transmitting of HIV by positive sexual partners.

Addressing backbenchers during parliament’s question and answer session on Wednesday, Minister Ziyambi said the law has not served its intended purpose of reducing the spread of the virus.

“…Indeed when the legislation came into effect, the thinking there was that, we need to control the spread of HIV by criminalising those who transmit it to partners willingly.

“But global thinking is that the law stigmatises people living with HIV and AIDS. Studies have shown that it does not produce the intended results that it is intended to achieve and so what the ministry is going to do is repeal that section of the law,” said Ziyambi.

The Minister was responding to a direct question by Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala who had asked what government was doing in terms of decriminalising the deliberate spread of HIV by sexual partners.

The MDC legislator had also asked if the government was willing to reverse the law arguing it stigmatises people living with HIV and AIDS.

Minister Ziyambi said the envisaged changes could come through the Marriage Bill Act.

“We are looking at perhaps introducing that amendment through the Marriage Bill Act that is due to come,” he said.

Zimbabwe in 2001 introduced the Sexual Offences Act which came with criminalisation on deliberate transmission of HIV either through rape cases or by those who do not inform their sexual partners about their HIV positive status in cases of unprotected sex.

Government Repeals Law On Intentional Transmission Of HIV (Zim Eye)

The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi has revealed that Government is working on repealing the willful HIV transmission law.

Section 79 (1) of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act on deliberate transmission of HIV reads: “Any person who knowingly that he or she is infected with HIV, or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that he or she is infected with HIV, intentionally does anything or permits the doing of anything which he or she realises involves a real risk or possibility of infecting another person with HIV, shall be guilty of deliberate transmission of HIV, whether or not he or she is married to that other person and shall be liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twenty years.

“It shall be a defence to a charge under subsection (1) for the accused to prove that the other person concerned knew that the accused was infected with HIV and consented to the act in question, appreciating the nature of HIV and the possibility of becoming infected with it.”

Ziyambi, during a Question and Answer session in Parliament today, said the law will be repealed.

Calls for the law to be repealed have been made since about 3 years ago. In 2016, Elizabeth Tailor Human Rights Award winner and HIV activist, Ms Martha Tholanah said this law must be scrapped because it stigmatised and discriminated against people living with HIV.

Ms Tholanah, who has been living with HIV for the past 17 years, said criminalisation of wilful HIV transmission was done a long time ago on the advent of the disease, when no one wanted to be associated with it.

She, however, said owing to developments in the medical field, HIV is now just like any other disease hence the law must be informed by science trends.

“Evidence has shown that chances of transmitting HIV to another person if you are on treatment are slim. The law must then speak the same language with science to achieve our national and global goals and targets,” said Ms Tholanah.

She said the current law discouraged people from getting tested thereby delaying them from accessing treatment early, reversing global efforts to end Aids by 2030.

France: Highest Court confirms that people living with HIV with an undetectable viral load can never be prosecuted as the risk of transmission is nul

Source TETU, Published 20/03/2019 – Google translation, for article in French please scroll down.

Can a person living with HIV be prosecuted if she is under treatment? The Court of Cassation (French Highest Court) delivers a landmark decision.

In a decision handed down on 5 March, the Court of Cassation ruled that it was impossible to prosecute an HIV-positive man on treatment who had sex without a condom and without informing his partner of his HIV status.

That’s a first. In a decision handed down on 5 March, the Court of Cassation recognised the preventive nature of HIV treatment. Thus, any person whose viral load is undetectable, who has sex without a condom with another person without the latter being aware of the HIV status of his or her partner, cannot be prosecuted.

In this case, a woman who had sex with a man who was HIV-positive and undergoing treatment sued the man on the grounds that he had not previously informed her of his HIV status. The partner was not infected. However, the man was prosecuted on the grounds of “administration of a harmful substance”, i.e. alleged exposure to the virus.

Non-harmful bodily fluids

The investigating judge did not give rise to prosecution. A decision from which the civil party has appealed. But the woman was once again dismissed. According to the Court of Appeal, it has been proven that the “HIV viral load” was “constantly undetectable since 3 September 2001”. The man was “strictly and permanently compliant with the treatment, so that his HIV status was only potential but not current”.

And the judges of the Court of Appeal ruled: “The carrier’s bodily fluids cannot be considered harmful on the date of the alleged acts”.

A significant reminder from the judges, who stated that it takes “a detectable viral load in an infected person for him/her to infect any partner”.

A purely mathematical margin of error

Moreover, the judges of the Court of Appeal acknowledged that there was indeed a margin of error, but that it was purely mathematical. Thus, they conceive of the idea of the “non-zero risk” of HIV transmission by a person undergoing treatment. A risk they call “very small” since it is about one in 10,000. And according to them, this margin of error does not make it possible to condemn the carrier of the virus.

The civil party has appealed to the Supreme Court. The High Court dismissed the appeal, aligning itself with the judges of first instance.

Peut-on poursuivre une personne séropositive sous traitement ? La Cour de cassation rend un arrêt historique

Dans un arrêt rendu le 5 mars dernier, la Cour de cassation a affirmé qu’il était impossible de poursuivre un homme séropositif sous traitement, ayant eu des relations sexuelles sans préservatif et sans informer sa partenaire de son statut sérologique.

C’est une première. La Cour de cassation a reconnu, dans un arrêt rendu le 5 mars dernier, le caractère préventif du traitement contre le VIH. Ainsi, ne saurait être poursuivie toute personne dont la charge virale est indétectable, qui aurait des relations sexuelles sans préservatif avec une autre personne sans que celle-ci ne soit au courant du statut sérologique de sa/son partenaire.

Dans cette affaire, une femme ayant eu des relations sexuelles avec un homme, porteur du VIH et sous traitement, a engagé des poursuites contre ce dernier au motif qu’il ne l’avait pas prévenue au préalable de son statut sérologique. Sa partenaire n’a pas été contaminée. Pourtant, l’homme était poursuivi au motif « d’administration d’une substance nuisible », c’est-à-dire à une prétendue exposition au virus.

Des fluides corporels non nuisibles

Le juge d’instruction n’a pas donné lieu aux poursuites. Une décision de laquelle la partie civile a fait appel. Mais la femme s’est fait une nouvelle fois débouter. Selon la Cour d’appel, il a été prouvé que « la charge virale de VIH » était « constamment indétectable depuis le 3 septembre 2001 ». L’homme a fait « compliance stricte et permanente au traitement, de sorte que la séropositivité n’était plus que potentielle mais non actuelle ».

Et les juges de la Cour d’appel de statuer : « Les fluides corporels du porteur ne sauraient être tenus pour nuisibles à la date des agissements qui lui sont reprochés ».

Un rappel non négligeable des juges, qui affirment qu’il faut « une charge virale détectable chez une personne infectée pour qu’elle puisse contaminer quelque partenaire ».

Une marge d’erreur purement mathématique

Par ailleurs, les juges de la Cour d’appel ont reconnu qu’il existait bel et bien une marge d’erreur, mais qu’elle était purement mathématique. Ainsi, ils conçoivent l’idée du « risque non nul » de la transmission du VIH par une personne sous traitement. Un risque qu’ils qualifient d’ »infime » puisqu’il est d’environ un sur 10.000. Et selon eux, cette marge d’erreur ne permet pas de condamner le porteur du virus.

La partie civile s’est pourvue en cassation. La haute juridiction a rejeté le pourvoi, s’alignant sur les juges de première instance.

Nigeria: Akwa Ibom State intends to put in place HIV criminalisation law

Source: The Sun Nigeria on March 18, 2019

HIV status: Akwa Ibom plan law against spread

Akwa Ibom State government has expressed an intent to enact a law that would enable it prosecute persons found to wilfully infect or transmit HIV virus to another person.

This comes in the wake President Muhammadu Buhari unveiling the Nigeria AIDS Indicator Survey and Impact Survey (NAIIS) last week, which revealed that the state is top on the HIV prevalence scale with 5.5% against the national prevalence of 1.4% for the age group of 15 to 64 years.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong, while speaking with the press on Monday in Uyo in reaction to the NAIIS result, said other long term measures to be adopted to bring the prevalence down in the state would be to lead advocacy to the legislative arm of government to put in place laws to protect PLHIV and to curb transmission of new infections by expeditiously deliberating and passing the bill on Anti-stigma and Discrimination against PLHIV/AIDS.

“We will lead advocacy to local government councils in the state to lend regular and dedicated support for HIV intervention and other health programmes in their respective local government areas,”Ukpong said as one of the long term measures.

But for the time being, he said the state government would increase access to testing services by providing enough rapid-test kits so that all primary and secondary health facilities in the state would be able to provide free HIV testing services to the citizens.

The state government, Ukpong said, would also increase “access to treatment by creating new comprehensive treatment centres in one senatorial district to be fully supported by the state government; this will complement other comprehensive treatment centres supported by international partners.

The commissioner attributed the high prevalence of HIV in the state to many factors.

“The location of the state with a long coast line of 129 km stretching from Ikot Abasi to Oron, an airport, good road network, peaceful environment, friendly disposition of our people, good cuisines and fast-developing economy have made our state the destination of choice for both national and international visitors. All these are not without attendant public health consequences, like transmission of communicable diseases which HIV/AIDS cannot be excluded,” he said.

He also said the seemingly scaling down of HIV/AIDS campaign in the state was due to limited healthcare resources shared to other equally compelling demands like Ebola and Lassa fever, which were no issues some years ago.

“The current HIV/AIDS situation in the state calls for a more robust multi-sectoral response towards curbing the epidemic in the state. Consequently, the state government will step up collaboration through the Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS (AKSACA) and Akwa Ibom State HIV/AIDS and STI Control Programme (SASCP) with implementing partners. Faith based organisations, PLHIV/AIDS, and other stakeholders towards proffering immediate and long-term interventions for the state.

“We all know HIV is transmitted mainly by unprotected sexual contact with infected persons hence, Akwa Ibomites should imbibe the simple ABCs of HIV prevention – Abstinence, being faithful to one’s partner, correct and consistence condom use and refraining from the use of illicit drugs which could be injectable or otherwise.

“I therefore urge Akwa Ibomites to stand up and fight to stop the transmission of HIV virus; we have a part to play no matter how little,” Ukpong said.

Kazakhstan: Women living with HIV submit report to CEDAW, recommending repeal of HIV criminalisation provision in Kazakhstan penal code

Source: EWNA, published on March 11, 2019

For the first time, HIV+ women in Kazakhstan submitted a shadow report to CEDAW

Today in Geneva, at the pre-sessional working group of the 74th meeting of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) , representatives of the community of women living with HIV, women who use drugs and sex workers from Kazakhstan presented for the first time a shadow report from civil society on rights situations for women from key groups.

In July 2018, civil society organizations submitted the Shadow Civil Society Report on Discrimination and Violence against Women Living with HIV, Women Using Drugs, Sex Workers and Women from Prisons, to the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women. The report is based on studies of cases of violation of rights registered by non-governmental organizations in 2015-2017. The full report is available on the EZSS website, in Russian and English .

Here is the text of the oral statement presented by Lyubov Vorontsova, Kazakhstan Union of People Living with HIV (english text below):

“Thank you, Madam Chair.

I am a woman living with HIV from Kazakhstan and I represent the voices of women from my community.

We consider it extremely important to solve the problems of institutionalized discrimination that violates the rights of women and impedes access to health and social services, as well as contribute to social and economic vulnerability.

Women living with HIV have limited access to residential services in existing crisis centers designed to help women affected by violence. In the capital of Kazakhstan, a young girl with a child who was abused by her husband in winter is refused to be placed in an orphanage, since there is such a law and she has HIV. Article 118 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan provides for criminal penalties for putting people at risk of HIV infection, which has the opposite effect – this contributes to a higher risk of HIV infection, violence and gender inequality in the family, in the health care system, in society.

According to a study of the Stigma Index, 24.2% of women living with HIV, medical workers forced to terminate a pregnancy (abortion), 34% of women living with HIV never received advice on reproductive opportunities.

We recommend:

Revise Article 118. “Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV / AIDS)” of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 3, 2014 No. 226-V SA-RC to abolish the provision criminalizing the risk of acquiring HIV
To set up offices in crisis centers to work with drug addicts and HIV-positive women. Mobilize state efforts to expand the network of crisis centers and other emergency services for women who have experienced domestic violence, and to ensure adequate public funding for these institutions.
Introduce changes to the Order of the Minister of Health and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 21, 2016 No. 1079 “On approval of the standard for providing special social services to victims of domestic violence”, limiting the possibility of women living with HIV in crisis centers.

Women who use drugs report the extreme prevalence of police brutality. Due to stigmatization, pregnant drug-addicted women cannot take advantage of necessary medical services, including drug treatment, antenatal care and post-natal care. Opioid substitution therapy is not available for women when they are hospitalized in any medical institution (including maternity hospitals, tuberculosis dispensaries, etc.).Immediately after childbirth, women are forced to travel independently to the substitution therapy program in order to receive drug support with methadone.

The rights of sex workers by medical personnel are violated, in particular, the humiliation of dignity, the infliction of physical and psychological violence, and the disclosure of HIV-positive status to third parties. For this reason, sex workers refuse timely diagnosis in medical institutions.

We recommend:

Develop and adopt a humanization policy for women who use drugs, laws and practices based on respect for human rights, which will protect and eliminate any discrimination and violence against women.
Include in the complex of preventive programs to combat HIV and AIDS at the local and national levels, training for police officers to reduce stigma and discrimination against women from vulnerable groups.
Actively investigate incidents of violence and any unlawful acts committed by law enforcement officers against sex workers, women who use drugs, and reported by public organizations.
Develop mechanisms for ensuring personal security and confidentiality that will allow women to report incidents of violence without fear for their safety.
Provide government funding for the provision of free family planning services, in particular contraception for marginalized and vulnerable women.
Provide training for medical personnel in providing quality sexual and reproductive health services for women living with HIV, sex workers and women who use drugs.
Include a substitution therapy program in the national health care system and drug practice, with further expansion and scaling in Kazakhstan, as well as develop mechanisms for access to treatment of opioid substitution therapy in hospitals (tub dispensary, maternity hospitals and others)

In Kazakhstan, there are no studies and disaggregated data in open sources regarding women prisoners. In the fifth periodic report, the state provides data on legislation that provides access to medical services for female prisoners. But this does not answer the question of whether it meets the needs of female prisoners.

We recommend:

Conduct research on the degree of satisfaction with women’s sexual and reproductive health services in places of detention, including data on women living with HIV and drug addicts, characterizing their access to antiretroviral treatment and drug treatment, including opioid substitution therapy. ”

ВПЕРВЫЕ ВИЧ+ ЖЕНЩИНЫ КАЗАХСТАНА ПРЕДСТАВИЛИ ТЕНЕВОЙ ОТЧЕТ В КЛДЖ

Сегодня в Женеве, на предсессионной рабочей группе 74 заседания Комитета ООН по ликвидации всех форм дискриминации в отношении женщин (CEDAW), представительницы сообщества женщин, живущих с ВИЧ, женщин употребляющих наркотики и секс-работниц из Казахстана, впервые представили теневой отчёт от гражданского общества о ситуации с нарушением прав в отношении женщин из ключевых групп.

В июле 2018 г. организациями гражданского общества был подан «Теневой отчет гражданского сообщества о дискриминации и насилии в отношении женщин, живущих с ВИЧ, женщин, употребляющих наркотики, секс — работниц и женщин из мест лишения свободы» в Комитет ООН по ликвидации всех форм дискриминации в отношении женщин. Отчет основан на исследованиях, случаях нарушения прав, зарегистрированных неправительственными организациями в 2015-2017 гг. С полным отчетом можно ознакомиться на сайте ЕЖСС, на русскоми английском языках.

Приводим текст устного заявления, которое представила Любовь Воронцова, Казахстанский Союз Людей, Живущих с ВИЧ (english text below):

«Спасибо, госпожа Председатель.

Я женщина, живущая с ВИЧ из Казахстана, и представляю голоса женщин из своего сообщества.

Мы считаем крайне важным решить проблемы институционализированной дискриминации, которая нарушает права женщин и препятствует доступу к медицинским и социальным услугам, а также способствуют социальной и экономической уязвимости.

Женщины, живущие с ВИЧ, имеют ограниченный доступ к услугам проживания в существующих кризисных центрах, предназначенных для помощи женщинам, пострадавшим от насилия. В столице Казахстана молодая девушка с ребенком, которая зимой подверглась насилию со стороны мужа, получает отказ быть помещенным в приют, поскольку существует такой закон и у нее ВИЧ. Cтатья 118 Уголовного Кодекса Казахстана предусматривает уголовное наказание за постановку в риск заражения ВИЧ, что имеет обратный эффект — это способствует более высокому риску заражения ВИЧ, насилия и гендерного неравенства в семье, в системе здравоохранения, в обществе.

По результатам исследования Индекс Стигмы 24,2% женщин, живущих с ВИЧ, медицинские работники принуждали к прерыванию беременности (аборту), 34% женщин, живущих с ВИЧ, никогда не получали консультацию по репродуктивным возможностям.

Мы рекомендуем:

Пересмотреть Статью 118. «Заражение вирусом иммунодефицита человека (ВИЧ/СПИД)» Уголовного кодекса РК от 3 июля 2014 года № 226-V ЗРК, чтобы отменить норму, устанавливающую уголовную ответственность за риск заражения ВИЧ.
Создать отделения в кризисных центрах для работы с наркозависимыми и ВИЧ-положительными женщинами. Мобилизовать усилия государства по расширению сети кризисных центров и других служб экстренной помощи женщинам, пережившим домашнее насилие, гарантировать адекватное государственное финансирование для этих учреждений.
Внести изменения в Приказ Министра здравоохранения и социального развития Республики Казахстан от 21 декабря 2016 года № 1079 «Об утверждении стандарта оказания специальных социальных услуг жертвам бытового насилия», ограничивающий возможность пребывания в кризисных центрах женщин, живущих с ВИЧ.

Женщины, употребляющие наркотики, сообщают о крайней распространенности жестокости полиции. Из-за стигматизации беременные наркозависимые женщины не могут воспользоваться необходимыми медицинскими услугами, в том числе наркологической, дородовой и послеродовой помощью. Опиоидная заместительная терапия не доступна для женщин при госпитализации в любые медицинские учреждения (включая родильные дома, противотуберкулезные диспансеры и т.д.). Сразу после родов женщины вынуждены самостоятельно добираться до программы заместительной терапии, чтобы получить лекарственную поддержку метадоном.

Нарушаются права секс-работниц со стороны медицинского персонала, в частности, унижение достоинства, причинение физического и психологического насилия, раскрытие ВИЧ-положительного статуса третьим лицам. По этой причине секс-работницы отказываются от своевременной диагностики в медицинских учреждениях

Мы рекомендуем:

Разработать и принять политику гуманизации в отношении женщин, употребляющих наркотики, законов и практик, основанных на уважении прав человека, которые обеспечат защиту и исключают любую дискриминацию и насилие в отношении женщин.
Включить в комплекс профилактических программ по противодействию ВИЧ и СПИД на местном и национальном уровнях обучающие мероприятия для полицейских о снижении стигмы и дискриминации по отношению к женщинам из уязвимых групп.
Активно расследовать случаи насилия и любых незаконных действий, совершенных сотрудниками правоохранительных органов против секс-работниц, женщин, употребляющих наркотики, зарегистрированных и сообщенных общественными организациями.
Разработать механизмы обеспечения личной безопасности и конфиденциальности, которые позволят женщинам сообщать о случаях насилия без страха за свою безопасность.
Обеспечить государственное финансирование на предоставление бесплатных услуг по планированию семьи, в частности контрацепции для маргинализированных и уязвимых женщин.
Обеспечить подготовку медицинского персонала по предоставлению качественных услуг по сексуальному и репродуктивному здоровью для женщин, живущих с ВИЧ, секс-работниц и женщин, употребляющих наркотики.
Включить программу заместительной терапии в национальную систему здравоохранения и наркологическую практику, с дальнейшим расширением и масштабированием в Казахстане, а так же разработать механизмы для доступа к лечению опиоидной заместительной терапии в условиях стационаров (тубдиспансер, родильные дома и другие)

В Казахстане отсутствуют исследования и дезагрегированные данные в открытых источниках в отношении женщин-заключенных. В пятом периодическом докладе государство приводит данные о законодательных актах, которые обеспечивают доступ к медицинским услугам для женщин-заключенных. Но, это не отвечает на вопрос о том, удовлетворяет ли это потребности женщин-заключенных.

Мы рекомендуем:

Провести исследования о степени удовлетворения услугами по сохранению сексуального и репродуктивного здоровья женщин в местах лишения свободы, включая данные о женщинах, живущих с ВИЧ и наркозависимых, характеризирующие их доступ к антиретровирусному лечению и наркологической помощи, включая опиоидную заместительную терапию.»

Mexico: Local congressman calls for the repeal of legislation criminalising people with HIV in Mexico City Federal District

Published in 20 minutos on March 12, 2019 (Google translation, for article in Spanish, please scroll down)

Local deputy calls for repeal of criminalization of HIV patients

Local Congressman Temístocles Villanueva Ramos considered that the authorities of Mexico City are obliged to provide adequate information, education and support, to guarantee access to means of prevention and treatment, as well as to eradicate the criminalization of those suffering from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Presenting an initiative that reforms Article 76 and repeals Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Federal District, the legislator for Morena indicated that criminalizing diseases such as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) hinders the duty of the authorities to guarantee public health while respecting human rights.

“The criminalization of HIV generates more harm than benefits in public health and human rights, so this initiative aims to repeal the article and reform the other to eliminate sentencing and the type of transmission risks” said the legislator.

He explained that currently Article 159 of the Criminal Code treats sexually transmitted infections differently from any other diseases since it specifically penalizes the health condition of the active subject, which causes a discriminatory distinction between people who live with a disease acquired by sexual infection and those who have some other disease acquired by other means,

“The penalty for exposure to infection is based on the risk of harm, not on the harm itself, which overstates the responsibilities of people with HIV, limiting their adequate access to justice,” he lamented.

Villanueva Ramos said that in Mexico, as well as in other countries around the world, people with HIV are subject to criminal law when they expose other people to the virus. However, according to UNAIDS, there is no evidence that these measures generate justice or prevent the transmission of the virus.

“If penalties for people with HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are eradicated, discrimination is reduced and cultural barriers to timely detection and prevention are eliminated,” he said.

Villanueva Ramos warned that the main problem with the classification of “exposure to infection”, both in the Federal Criminal Code and in local codes, is the ambiguity of the definition of incriminating behaviours, so that the jurisdictional authority is the one who decides in most cases which diseases are considered serious or which behaviours are punishable.

This type of measures that end up violating the human rights of people with HIV without contributing to the eradication of the epidemic can also be observed in other countries,” he said.

Pide diputado local pide derogar criminalización de enfermos de VIH

El diputado local Temístocles Villanueva Ramos consideró que las autoridades de la Ciudad de México están obligadas a suministrar información, educación y apoyo adecuados, así como garantizar el acceso a los medios de prevención y tratamientos, así como erradicar la criminalización de quienes padecen VIH y otras infecciones de transmisión sexual.

Al presentar una iniciativa que reforma el Artículo 76 y se deroga el Artículo 159 del Código Penal del Distrito Federal, el legislador por Morena indicó que criminalizar las enfermedades como el Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH) obstaculiza el deber de las autoridades para garantizar la salud pública respetando los derechos humanos.

“La criminalización del VIH genera más daños que beneficios en la salud pública y los derechos humanos, por lo que la presente iniciativa tiene como objeto derogar el artículo y reformar el que le hace referencia para eliminar la pena y el tipo de Peligro de Contagio”, dijo el legislador capitalino.

Explicó que actualmente el Artículo 159 del Código Penal da un trato distinto a las infecciones de transmisión sexual respecto a cualquier otra enfermedad, ya que se penaliza específicamente la condición de salud del sujeto activo, lo que provoca una distinción discriminatoria entre las personas que viven con una enfermedad adquirida por contagio sexual y quienes tienen alguna otra enfermedad adquirida por otros medios.

“La pena por Peligro de Contagio se basa en el riesgo de daño, no en el daño mismo, lo cual sobredimensiona las responsabilidades de las personas con VIH, limitando su acceso adecuado a la justicia”, lamentó.

Villanueva Ramos manifestó que en México, así como en otros países del mundo, a las personas con VIH se les aplica el derecho penal cuando exponen a otras personas, no obstante, de acuerdo con Onusida, no hay datos que comprueben que estas medidas generen justicia o que se prevenga la transmisión del virus.

“Si se erradican las penalizaciones a las personas con VIH e infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) se disminuye la discriminación y se eliminan las barreras culturales para la detección oportuna y la prevención”, aseguró.

Villanueva Ramos alertó que el principal problema de la tipificación de “Peligro de Contagio”, tanto en el Código Penal Federal como en los códigos locales es la ambigüedad de la definición de las conductas incriminatorias, por lo que la autoridad jurisdiccional es quien decide en la mayoría de las ocasiones qué enfermedades se consideran graves o qué conductas son las punibles.

“Este tipo de medidas que terminan violentando los derechos humanos de las personas con VIH sin aportar a la erradicación de la epidemia también se pueden observar en otros países”, refirió.

Belarus: Experience of serodiscordant couple in Belarus demonstrates how punitive legislation can harm HIV prevention efforts

Published in echo.msk.ru on March 1, 2019 – Google translation, for from Russian article please scroll down.

A prison awaits us: what are discordant couples in Belarus afraid of?

Ilya and Eugene – a gay couple from Belarus. They have been together for several years and call themselves an “interesting couple,” because they live in a discordant relationship. Recently, during sex, they broke a condom. They decided to start post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). It would seem that everything was simple: within 72 hours after the risk of infection, you need to start taking pills. Moreover, the steps are known: go to the doctor, explain the situation, get the pills, drink a month’s course – and you can forget about the problem. But due to the peculiarities of local legislation, it is much more difficult to get help than it seems at first glance. AIDS.CENTER figured out what Belarusian discordant couples face and what are the ways out of the current situation in the republic.

“As soon as our condom broke, we consulted with friends and went to Minsk [to the infectious diseases hospital] on Kropotkin Street for a PCP,” recalls Ilya. The doctor listened to him and with a “very dissatisfied face” asked to disclose the name of the partner. Motivated by the fact that a young person must be registered, and in such cases, the medical officer “must report to the law enforcement authorities.”

The man asked if such a law had not been repealed, but they explained to him that it remains in force and that the partner would incur criminal liability. Of course, the man refused to tell him about Evgeny, but the doctor insisted: “How do I know? Maybe you are slandering someone? Suddenly you will now go to sell the medicines that I will give you? ” The pill was not given.

Indeed, in the Criminal Code of Belarus there is Art. 157 (Human immunodeficiency virus infection), according to which, if a person deliberately put another in danger of becoming infected with HIV, he can receive up to a prison term. It is noteworthy that the article provided for criminal liability, even if the injured party had no complaints against the defendant. And infectious disease doctors can initiate proceedings. Moreover, Belarus together with Russia are leaders in the criminal prosecution of people with HIV. For example, in 2017, 130 criminal cases were initiated under Art. 157 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

However, in the near future, legislation in the Republic may be relaxed, for example, on December 19, 2018, an amendment was made to decriminalize transmission of the disease. According to this, people with a diagnosis will no longer be prosecuted “for putting the threat of HIV transmission and HIV infection” on their partners if they have notified them in advance about their diagnosis. Now the bill has been submitted to the Council of the Republic and the president for approval.

“There are still a dozen of prohibitions for people with HIV-positive status in the legislation of Belarus ,” says Irina Statkevich, chairman of the local HIV-service organization “Positive Movement”. – In 2018, they made positive changes to the standard “Children living with HIV are prohibited from playing sports.” It is noteworthy that the children themselves living with HIV initiated the changes in the norm, namely, they went to the meeting at the Ministry of Health. ”

In addition, before people with HIV were forbidden to adopt children, now this article has been revised, but still there are some nuances in the application.

Who is responsible for health?

Ilya is convinced that he must bear responsibility for his own health. Once he himself worked as an HIV counselor and conducted rapid testing, so he knew that there was very little time for PEP after unprotected intercourse, only three days.

“In my opinion, the doctor was very unprofessional,” he complains. “The reason for concern was that at that time my young man and I didn’t know exactly his viral load.”

“In Belarus, as in many other countries, there is no document that would clearly define the indications for postexposure prophylaxis, and this is due to objective difficulties,” says infectious disease doctor Nikolai Golobrudko.

According to him, the PCP is provided in cases of occupational risks, for example, if a nurse injected with a syringe, which took blood from an HIV-positive patient. Or in some domestic situations (for example, the child found a syringe in the sandbox and injected with them) or at certain sexual contacts (for example, after rape).

Statkevich agrees with the lack of regulations for issuing such tablets. “Therefore, the requirement to name your partner in this regard is unlikely to exist,” she said, assuming that the doctor could ask the partner’s data for risk assessment. “The doctor could look at the viral load information in the partner’s registration card and thus understand how much the situation is really emergency.”

Ultimately, Ilya received postexposure prophylaxis, but not from doctors who were supposed to provide it, friends from Russia helped and promptly transferred it.

Soon he will go for tests, and if he is around, he wants to go to an appointment with the very same doctor: “Since it was she who jeopardized my health and my life. Requirements of this kind from a doctor, in my opinion, violate the law on medical confidentiality; disclosing a person’s HIV status can be a criminal offense. After all, there are people who will use this information far from for good purposes. ”

How to change the situation?

The case of Ilya is a good demonstration of how HIV prevention is related to legislative norms, in particular, with 157 articles, Statkevich believes. “Recently this topic has been actively discussed, there are real cases of imprisonment. And many people seek to keep secrets at all costs so as not to harm the HIV-positive partner, ”she adds.

A public organization advocates a reduction in the criminalization of HIV infection by offering several points. First, reclassify cases under article 157 from public to private accusation. Thus, they will be initiated not by representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Prosecutor’s Office, but at the initiative of a person who has suffered from a crime. In addition, the case may be closed in case of reconciliation of the parties.

Secondly, the possibility of blackmail by an HIV-negative partner should be excluded. To do this, community activists offer either to issue an “informed consent to have sex with an HIV-positive partner,” suppose a infectious diseases doctor; or, which seems more realistic, to supplement the criminalizing article with the phrase “in the event of failure to take measures to prevent infection (refusal to take antiretroviral therapy or use a condom)”.

Thirdly, to define the terms of the Criminal Code article itself more clearly, for example, what is the “knowledge” and so on. Since the vagueness of the wording allows them to be interpreted unnecessarily broadly.

“Medical prophylaxis after cases of unprotected sex is sometimes needed, but it should not become a substitute for concern about the safety of one’s sexual behavior, the use of condoms,” says Goloborudko.

The doctor adds that there is another effective way of prevention for people with increased risk of infection, for example, for men who have sex with men, and for sex workers – pre-contact prophylaxis (PrEP or PrEP).

However, there is a problem with access to these pills, and both DCT and PEP. Antiretroviral drugs in Belarus are procured centrally for the state budget, and pharmacies simply do not arrive, that is, it is impossible to buy them yourself, at least legally. This means that due to stigma, fear to open up even to doctors and unwillingness to donate partners, the number of people with HIV may increase. The principle is simple: do not drink therapy – either you are infected yourself, or you transmit the virus to another. It remains to hope that a program on pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis may appear in Belarus (at least now such conversations are under way), which could be given out not only in state hospitals, but also in public organizations.

Нас ждет тюрьма: чего боятся дискордантные пары в Беларуси

Илья и Евгений — пара геев из Беларуси. Они уже несколько лет вместе и называют себя «интересной парочкой», поскольку живут в дискордантных отношениях. Недавно во время секса у них порвался презерватив. Они приняли решение начать постконтактную профилактику (ПКП). Казалось бы, все просто: в течение 72 часов после риска инфицирования нужно начать принимать таблетки. Тем более что шаги известны: прийти к врачу, объяснить ситуацию, получить таблетки, пропить месячный курс — и о проблеме можно забыть. Но из-за особенностей местного законодательства получить помощь гораздо сложнее, чем кажется на первый взгляд. СПИД.ЦЕНТР разбирался, с чем сталкиваются белорусские дискордантные пары и какие есть выходы из сложившейся в республике ситуации.

Не сдал — не получил

«Как только у нас порвался презерватив, мы посоветовались с друзьями и поехали в Минск [в инфекционную больницу] на улицу Кропоткина за ПКП», — вспоминает Илья. Врач его выслушал и с «очень недовольным лицом» попросил раскрыть имя партнера. Мотивировав тем, что молодого человека необходимо поставить на учет и в подобных случаях медицинский работник «должен докладывать правоохранительным органам».

Мужчина уточнил, не отменен ли еще такой закон, но ему пояснили, что он действует и партнер понесет уголовную ответственность. Само собой, мужчина отказался сдавать Евгения, но врач настаивала: «Откуда мне знать? Может быть, вы клевещете на кого-нибудь? Вдруг вы сейчас пойдете продавать лекарства, которые я вам выдам?». Таблетки так и не дали.

Действительно, в Уголовном кодексе Беларуси есть ст. 157 (Заражение вирусом иммунодефицита человека), согласно которой, если человек заведомо поставил другого в опасность инфицирования ВИЧ, он может получить вплоть до тюремного срока. Примечательно, что статья предусматривала уголовную ответственность, даже если пострадавшая сторона не имела никаких претензий к ответчику. А инициировать возбуждение дела могут врачи-инфекционисты. Причем Беларусь вместе с Россией — лидеры по уголовному преследованию людей с ВИЧ. Например, в 2017 году было возбуждено 130 уголовных дел по ст. 157 УК Республики Беларусь.

Однако в ближайшее время законодательство в республике может быть смягчено, так, 19 декабря 2018 года внесена поправка о декриминализации передачи болезни. Согласно ей, люди с диагнозом больше не будут подвергаться уголовному преследованию «за постановку в угрозу передачи ВИЧ и заражение ВИЧ» своих партнеров, если они заранее уведомили их о своем диагнозе. Сейчас законопроект направлен для одобрения в Совет Республики и президенту.

«В законодательстве Беларуси все еще существует дюжина запретов для людей с ВИЧ-положительным статусом, — рассказывает председатель местной ВИЧ-сервисной организации «Позитивное движение» Ирина Статкевич. — В 2018 году внесли положительные изменения в норму «Детям, живущим с ВИЧ, запрещено заниматься спортом». Примечательно, что сами дети, живущие с ВИЧ, выступили инициаторами изменения нормы, а именно — ходили на встречу в Минздрав».

Кроме того, раньше людям с ВИЧ было запрещено усыновлять детей, сейчас эту статью пересмотрели, но все равно остались некоторые нюансы в применении.

Кто отвечает за здоровье?

Илья убежден, что ответственность за свое здоровье должен нести сам. Когда-то он сам работал консультантом по вопросам ВИЧ и проводил экспресс-тестирование, поэтому знал, что после незащищенного полового акта времени для ПКП очень мало, всего лишь трое суток.

«На мой взгляд, врач поступила очень непрофессионально, — сетует он. — Повод для беспокойства был — на тот момент мой молодой человек и я точно не знали его вирусную нагрузку».

«В Беларуси, как и во многих других странах, нет документа, который бы четко определял показания к проведению постконтактной профилактики, и это связано с объективными трудностями», — констатирует врач-инфекционист Николай Голоборудько.

По его словам, ПКП предоставляют в случаях профессиональных рисков, например, если медсестра укололась шприцем, которым забирала кровь у ВИЧ-положительного пациента. Или в некоторых бытовых ситуациях (например, ребенок нашел в песочнице шприц и укололся им) или при определенных половых контактах (например, после изнасилования).

Статкевич соглашается с отсутствием регламента выдачи таких таблеток. «Поэтому требование назвать своего партнера в данной связи вряд ли существует, — уточняет она, предполагая, что врач могла спрашивать данные партнера для оценки рисков. — Доктор мог посмотреть информацию о вирусной нагрузке в учетной карточке партнера и таким образом понять, насколько ситуация действительно экстренная».

В конечном счете постконтактную профилактику Илья все же получил, но не от врачей, которые должны ее предоставить, — помогли знакомые из России, оперативно передали ее.

Скоро он пойдет сдавать анализы, и если «плюсанет», то хочет попасть на прием к тому же самому врачу: «Так как это она поставила под угрозу мое здоровье и мою жизнь. Требования такого рода от врача, по моему мнению, нарушают закон о врачебной тайне, раскрытие ВИЧ-статуса человека может быть уголовно наказуемым. Ведь есть люди, которые данную информацию будут использовать далеко не для благих целей».

Как изменить ситуацию?

Случай Ильи — хорошая демонстрация того, как связана профилактика ВИЧ с законодательными нормами, в частности со 157 статьей, считает Статкевич. «В последнее время эта тема активно обсуждается, есть реальные случаи лишения свободы. А многие люди стремятся сохранить тайну любой ценой, чтобы не нанести вред ВИЧ-положительному партнеру», — добавляет она.

Общественная организация ратует за снижение криминализации инфицирования ВИЧ, предлагая несколько пунктов. Во-первых, переквалифицировать дела по статье 157 с публичного обвинения в частное. Таким образом, они будут возбуждаться не представителями МВД или прокуратуры, а по инициативе человека, пострадавшего от преступления. К тому же дела могут быть закрыты в случае примирения сторон.

Во-вторых, следует исключить возможность шантажа со стороны ВИЧ-отрицательного партнера. Для этого общественники предлагают либо оформлять «информированное согласие на вступление в половые контакты с ВИЧ-позитивным партнером», предположим, у врача-инфекциониста; или же, что кажется более реальным, дополнить криминализирующую статью фразой «в случае непринятия мер по профилактике заражения (отказ от приема антиретровирусной терапии либо от использования презерватива)».

В-третьих, более четко определить сами термины статьи УК, например, в чем заключается «заведомость» и так далее. Поскольку размытость формулировок позволяет трактовать их неоправданно широко.

«Медикаментозная профилактика после случаев незащищенного полового контакта иногда нужна, но она не должна становиться заменой заботы о безопасности своего полового поведения, использования презервативов», — говорит Голоборудько.

Врач добавляет, что есть другой эффективный способ профилактики для людей с повышенными рисками инфицирования, например, для мужчин, практикующих секс с мужчинами, и для секс-работниц — доконтактная профилактика (ДКП или PrEP).

Однако есть проблема с доступом к таким таблеткам, причем как ДКП, так и ПКП. Антиретровирусные препараты в Беларуси закупаются централизованно за госбюджет, а в аптеки просто не поступают, то есть купить их самостоятельно, по крайней мере легально, никак нельзя. А значит из-за стигмы, страха раскрыться даже врачам и нежелания сдавать партнеров количество людей с ВИЧ может увеличиваться. Принцип прост: не пьешь терапию — либо инфицируешься сам, либо передаешь вирус другому. Остается надеяться, что в Беларуси может появиться программа по до— и постконтактной профилактике (по крайней мере сейчас такие разговоры ведутся), которую могли бы выдавать не только в государственных больницах, но и в общественных организациях.

US: Five laws categorised as “bad” laws by the Human Rights Campaign in Missouri , including HIV/AIDS criminalisation laws

Missouri ranked in lowest category for LGBTQ protections, nondiscrimination

The Human Rights Campaign recently released their fifth annual State Equality Index — a state-by-state report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people, assessing how well states are doing to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination.

This year, Missouri received the lowest rating, “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality.” This rating is given to states that focus on raising suport for basic LGBTQ equality laws, such as non-discrimination laws, and for states focusing on municipal protections for LGBTQ people including opposing negative legislation.

Twenty-eight states earned this rating. Seventeen states earned the highest rating, “Working Toward Innovative Equality,” while the remaining five earned “Solidifying Equality” or “Building Equality.”

Karis Agnew, field director for PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, explained that they expected this rating for Missouri.

“It does not surprise me because there are basic protections that LGBTQ people lack in Missouri and those include protection of employment, housing and public accommodations,” Agnew said.

Missouri has a total of six laws that benefit LGBTQ people — hate crime laws, a college and universities non-discrimination law, a sexual orientation non-discrimination policy for state employees, an anti-bullying law specifically for cyberbullying, transgender inclusion in sports, and name and gender updates on identification documents for drivers licenses.

Missouri has five laws that the HRC categorizes as “bad” laws including HIV/AIDS criminalization laws, a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and transgender exclusions in state Medicaid coverage.

Missouri lacks all parenting laws such as parental presumption for same-sex couples, second parent adoption, and foster care non-discrimination. Missouri also lacks basic non-discrimination laws for employment, housing, public accommodation, education, adoption, foster care, insurance, credit, and jury selection.

The absence of youth laws in Missouri include anti-bullying laws, protection from conversion therapy, and laws to address LGBTQ youth homelessness. In the health and safety category, Missouri lacks laws including LGBTQ nondiscrimantion protections in Affordable Care Act exchanges, transgender healthcare coverage, and name and gender updates on identification documents for birth certificates.

Alex Padilla, co-president of Spectrum, an LGBTQ group at Missouri State Univerity, explained his fear regarding how few laws Missouri has protecting LGBTQ individuals like himself.

“Whenever I first came out, I was working at a fast food job and I was worried that I could be fired for who I was,” Padilla said.

He explained that he did a quick search online and found that there were no laws protecting him from being harassed or fired because of who he was.

Agnew, who prefers using gender-neutral pronouns, explained that although this rating is low, organizations like PROMO are working hard behind the scenes to make sure Missouri’s laws are progressing.

“When it comes to passing laws that are pro-equality, the thing that we really need the most to be able to do that is make sure that we don’t have bills that are anti-LGBTQ,” Agnew said.

Agnew explained that in 2018 five anti-LGBTQ laws were filed but PROMO worked to ensure zero made it to the governor’s desk to be signed.

“When those are filed, that is our priority, so it is really hard for us to file proactive legislation and pass proactive legislation when we have legislation that is harmful to LGBTQ people that we work so hard to prevent from passing,” Agnew said.

Agnew said a big reason why Missouri is far behind other states in passing pro-LGBTQ legislation is that Missouri legislators are not aware of what it is like to live as an LGBTQ individual.

“I think a lot of our legislators in Missouri honestly don’t know what it’s like to be LGBTQ — the majority of our legislators are not LGBTQ themselves,” Agnew said. “And because of that, I think a lot of them have a lot to learn from their constituents that are.”

Agnew said this year is the 21st year that PROMO has worked to file the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, which would add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in places of employment, housing and public accommodations.

“When their constituents aren’t bringing it up they assume it’s not important and not needed,” Agnew said. “The number one thing people can do is engage their elected officials and talk to them about why something like the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act is so important to them.”

Padilla explained how important it is for students to get involved.

“Help us lobby for equality, Padilla said. “Advocating for these things and showing that you are an ally is really helpful to all of Missouri and all of Missouri’s LGBTQ people.”

PROMO is hosting an “Equality Day,” a day of lobbying where people in the community come up to Jefferson City and talk to legislators about the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act on April 10.

Uganda: Mapping of the legal environment shows how the current criminal justice system discriminates against people living with HIV

Published in the Daily Monitor on Febraury 22, 2019

Report shows how laws discriminate against HIV positive people

KAMPALA- Various existing laws criminalise people living with HIV/ Aids, according to a new report released in Kampala on Thursday.

The report is titled: “Draft report on the assessment and mapping of the legal environment on provisions of HIV and TB services to let populations, persons living with HIV and tuberculosis”

“The existing legal framework is not favourable for some categories of the key, vulnerable and priority populations to freely access health services in Uganda. Specifically, the lifestyles sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender persons and makes them most affected by the existing legal framework in Uganda,” read part of the report

It adds: “The laws criminalise sex work, same sex relationships and drug use. This results into violence, harassment, disappointment of sex workers and their legal recourse to address injustice against them.” “The other law, the HIV and Aids prevention and Control Act although not specifically targeting key vulnerable and priority populations, has implications for both the general affected by HIV in Uganda.”

The report indicates that the HIV and Aids Prevention and Control Act 2014 provides for voluntary HIV testing in Sub Section 9. However, the voluntarism is not considered if a person commits a sexual offense as part of the criminal proceedings and yet Section 8 provides for identity of a person tested with HIV not to be disclosed or released to any person except in accordance with the law and medical standards.

The report was carried out by civil society organisation Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) in conjunction with Aids and Rights Alliance for South Africa (ARASA).

The current criminal justice system is also discriminative as it hands down more deterrent jail terms to those suspects found to be living with HIV than their counterparts that are not.

Reacting to the aforementioned finding, a law professor at Makerere University, Prof. Ben Twinomugisha, explained that sometimes it’s prudent for the prosecution to take an HIV test of a suspect accused of committing a sexual offense for purposes of securing a conviction.

However, he was also quick to say that this compulsory HIV testing will lead to violation of their human rights and that this will drive those infected away instead of going to hospital to get medication.

“But a civil society organisation and I, have since petitioned court challenging Section 43 of the HIV Prevention and Control Act about criminalization of HIV,” Prof. Twinomugisha said

“Why is it that a person suffering from Hepatitis B, which is more deadly than HIV are not subjected to a test when they commit a crime,” he wondered.

The study was carried out in three districts of Gulu, Mbarara and Tororo.

The study was mainly about the extent to which laws and policies protect and promote the rights of persons living with HIV/ Aids, let populations like sex workers, truck drivers and fishermen can access health care and services.

The HIV prevalence in Uganda stands at 6.2%. In 2016, approximately 1.4 million people were living with HIV and 28,000 Ugandans were estimated to have died of Aids-related illness.

US: Indiana considers bill modernising laws related to HIV to reflect current science

HIV Modernization Legislation Considered By Lawmakers

A bill to modernize Indiana laws related to HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, was heard by lawmakers Wednesday. The proposal would update laws to reflect current science and medicine.

Indiana laws related to the transmission of HIV were written in the ’90s. Rep. Ed Clere (R-New Albany), who authored the bill, says a lot has changed since then.

“When I was in high school HIV was a death sentence and it’s not today, thankfully,” says Clere. “Today it’s a chronic condition.”

IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI Associate Professor Dr. Carrie Foote leads Indiana’s HIV Modernization movement. She has lived with the virus for 30 years.

“Thanks to the advances in modern medicine, I am here with a very successful career and my husband and teenage son do not have HIV,” says Foote.

The bill removes stigmatized legal language, changes penalties and updates duty to warn laws. Dr. Bree Weaver, HIV expert at Indiana University’s School of Medicine, says people don’t get tested for fear of prosecution.

“Outdated and stigmatizing laws are negatively affecting our ability to bring people with HIV into care and thereby bring the HIV epidemic to an end,” says Weaver.

HIV modernization legislation can encourage testing, reduce stigma and eliminate barriers to effective treatment.

Amendments will be made to the bill before a committee vote.