US: Tennessee bill drops “violent sex offender” registration requirement for people convicted of aggravated prostitution due to their HIV status

Bill would revise Tennessee’s decades-old law targeting HIV-positive people convicted of sex work

Tennessee would no longer be the only U.S. state to impose a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” on anyone convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV under a proposal that advanced Tuesday in the legislature.

The controversial statute still on the books is being challenged in federal court by LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates. They argue that the law stems from the decades-old AIDS scare and discriminates against HIV-positive people. The U.S. Department of Justice has also weighed in on the decades-old law after completing an investigation in December, saying that it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and called on the state to repeal the measure.

However, Republican Sen. Page Walley on Tuesday stopped short of fully removing the law and instead introduced legislation that would remove those convicted of aggravated prostitution of having to register as a violent sex offender.

“It maintains the charge,” Walley said. “But removes the sex offender registration.”

Prostitution has long been criminalized as a misdemeanor in Tennessee. But in 1991, Tennessee lawmakers enacted an even harsher statute that applied only to sex workers living with HIV. Nearly 20 years later, the state legislature revised the law once more by requiring lifetime sex offender registration for those convicted under the controversial statute.

In the years since, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that laws criminalizing HIV exposure — many of which were enacted amid the height of the AIDS epidemic — as outdated and ineffective. Black and Latino communities have been particularly affected by these laws even as the same standards do not apply to other infectious diseases.

Some states have taken steps to repeal their HIV criminal laws, such as Illinois, which repealed all of its HIV-specific criminal laws in 2021. That same year, New Jersey and Virginia repealed all their felony HIV-specific laws.

In Republican-dominant Tennessee, lawmakers have expressed resistance to outright repealing the aggravated prostitution charge. Instead, the GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday agreed to advance a proposal that would drop the lifetime sex offender registration requirement.

Walley described his bill as “anti-trafficking,” arguing that the current framework hurts those who may be victims of sexual assault and hinders attempts to get their lives back on track.

According to court documents, 83 people are currently registered sex offenders for aggravated prostitution convictions in Tennessee. The majority of those convictions took place in Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis. The plaintiffs challenging the law in federal court, all named Jane Doe, have described years of harassment and hardships in finding housing and employment that complies with Tennessee’s violent sex offender registry.

The legislation would still need to clear the full Senate and House chambers before it could make it to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for consideration. The Republican governor has not weighed in publicly on the bill.

Meanwhile, the federal lawsuit is ongoing. It’s currently scheduled to go to trial in 2026.

Tajikistan: The discrimination and legal difficulties of women living with HIV

Infecting your wife and then accusing her: The Tajik HIV-positive women confronting social exclusion

Translated from via Deepl.com. For the article in French and the Original article in Russian, please scroll down.

In Tajikistan, women living with HIV are denied help by their families. Many of them live in very precarious conditions, have no medical support and cannot find work.

HIV-positive women are one of the most discriminated against groups in Tajikistan. They are shunned by society as a whole, including their immediate families. Excluded, they can no longer work or have access to appropriate medical assistance. And yet, most of the time, these women pose no risk to the health of those around them.

To mark the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence” event and the International Day against HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), Asia-Plus takes a look at the discrimination faced by these women.

A number of laws and documents exist in Tajikistan to directly or indirectly prevent discrimination against people living with HIV, as set out in an article by the NGO Foreign Policy Centre. In 2023, this list was supplemented by a new law on equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination. According to human rights activists, it introduces the concept of “indirect discrimination”, which vulnerable groups often face. However, HIV-positive women are not entirely reassured by this new legal reference, as they already face direct discrimination on a daily basis.

Discrimination extending from the family to the medical community

“Despite the fact that HIV is not transmitted in everyday life and that antiretroviral (ARV) treatment (a treatment that slows down the development of the virus and the disease, editor’s note) reduces the viral load to a minimum, HIV-positive women are discriminated against at every street corner. And above all within their families”, explains Tahmina Khaïdarova, Tajikistan spokesperson for the Eurasian Women’s AIDS Network.

“As soon as her diagnosis is known, her family restricts contact with her and avoids her. This attitude then follows her wherever her situation becomes known.

Also read about Novastan: HIV positive and unemployed

Strange as it may seem, HIV-positive women often report discrimination from healthcare workers. These include dentists, surgeons, midwives and gynaecologists. Some doctors refuse to help women with HIV, and they have to find friendlier doctors through acquaintances.

“Yet modern medicine has eliminated all risk. Today, HIV is a chronic disease like diabetes. With the right ARV treatment and medical follow-up, HIV-positive women can become mothers of healthy children, but even some health workers don’t have this information,” explains Tahmina Khaïdarova.

Discrimination trivialised in the media
Local journalists also discriminate against women with HIV. The content devoted to this subject often takes a pejorative angle. The media confirm stereotypes, stigmatisation and prejudice, without explaining to the public what HIV is today.

“Even today, local journalists still use phrases like ‘AIDS: the plague of the 21st century’, ‘the terror of HIV‘ and other statements that have nothing to do with reality”, says Tahmina Khaïdarova.

Journalists often use intimidating language to talk about criminal cases (article 125 of the Tajik penal code, editor’s note) brought against women with HIV who are accused of knowingly infecting their husbands.

Discrimination, a source of violence against women

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to which Tajikistan has been a signatory for 30 years, states that gender inequality and discrimination are the primary reasons for violence against women.

In fact, any serodiscordant couple (where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not, editor’s note) can fall foul of the first part of article 125 of the Tajik criminal code. This states: “knowingly placing another person at risk of HIV contamination”. It therefore refers not to factual contamination, but to the risk of infection. And all HIV-positive people who have a sexual partner are de facto exposing them to the risk of infection.

“But in reality, things don’t work like that. If a person is on ARV treatment, their viral load is reduced and even if they have unprotected sex, their partner will not catch HIV”, explains Tahmina Khaïdarova.

Women with HIV more discriminated against than men

The spokeswoman tells us that at the twelfth International Conference on HIV Research, held in Brisbane from 23 to 26 July, the World Health Organisation presented new scientific and methodological recommendations relating to HIV. Among them is the indication of the viral load thresholds required for HIV infection.

This means that HIV-positive people who achieve a viral load level below this threshold by adhering to ARV treatment will not transmit HIV to their sexual partners. They have only a low risk of transmitting the virus vertically to their children.

“Many of the criminal cases that have resounded in Tajikistan have been launched on the basis of the first part of Article 125. But in reality, none of the ‘victims’ have been infected with HIV”, reveals Tahmina Khaïdarova. According to her, although men with HIV are also discriminated against, women are discriminated against to a greater extent.

Legal difficulties

The fact is that society still considers that a woman with HIV has had many sexual partners. However, according to statistics, sex workers represent only 1.7% of HIV-positive women in Tajikistan in 2022. All the others are women leading ordinary lives, sometimes housewives, who contracted the virus from their husbands.

“Not long ago, we were contacted by an HIV-positive woman. She was married, had a child, and her husband beat her. He even beat her during her pregnancy, so that she lost her second child”, says Tahmina Khaïdarova. “Although it was her husband who gave her HIV, her family blamed her.

“She left with her child, rented a room and found a job. But her ex-husband has got the child back and is threatening to deprive her of her rights over him because she is HIV-positive, uneducated and on a modest salary on which she can’t look after her child.”

The courts also discriminate against women, even those without HIV. That’s why there’s no guarantee that if her husband does try to deprive her of her child, the judge will see the absurdity and injustice of the situation.

Translated from the Russian by Paulinon Vanackère and edited by Coraline Grondin

Contaminer son épouse puis l’accuser : ces femmes tadjikes séropositives face aux discriminations sociales

Au Tadjikistan, les femmes atteintes du VIH se voient refuser l’aide de leur famille. En grande précarité, beaucoup ne bénéficient pas d’accompagnement médical et ne trouvent pas de travail.
Tadjikistan

Les femmes séropositives sont un des groupes les plus discriminés au Tadjikistan. La société entière se détourne d’elles, y compris leur famille proche. Exclues, elles ne peuvent plus travailler ni avoir accès à une aide médicale adaptée. Pourtant, la plupart du temps, ces femmes ne représentent aucun risque pour la santé de leur entourage.

A l’occasion de l’événement « 16 jours d’action contre les violences de genre » et de la journée internationale de lutte contre le VIH (virus de l’immunodéficience humaine), Asia-Plus se penche sur les discriminations que ces femmes rencontrent.

Diverses lois et documents existent au Tadjikistan pour empêcher directement ou indirectement la discrimination des personnes atteintes du VIH, rassemblées dans un article de l’ONG Foreign Policy Centre. En 2023, cette liste a été complétée d’une nouvelle loi sur l’égalité et l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination. Selon les défenseurs des droits humains, elle fait apparaître le concept de « discriminations indirectes » auxquelles les groupes vulnérables sont souvent confrontés. Cependant, les femmes séropositives ne sont pas pleinement rassurées par cette nouvelle mention légale car elles font déjà face à des discriminations directes au quotidien.

Des discriminations s’étendant de la famille à la communauté médicale

« Malgré le fait que le VIH ne se transmet pas dans la vie quotidienne et que le traitement antirétroviral (ARV) (un traitement qui ralentit le développement du virus et la maladie, ndlr) atténue au minimum la charge virale, les femmes séropositives sont discriminées à chaque coin de rue. Et avant tout dans leur famille », explique Tahmina Khaïdarova, porte-parole pour le Tadjikistan du Réseau des femmes eurasiennes sur le SIDA.

« A peine son diagnostic est-il connu que sa famille restreint ses contacts avec elle et l’évite. Puis, cette attitude la suivra partout où sa situation est connue. »

Aussi étrange que cela puisse paraître, les femmes séropositives rapportent souvent des discriminations de la part des travailleurs de la santé. Parmi eux, dentistes, chirurgiens, sages-femmes ou gynécologues. Des médecins refusent de porter assistance aux femmes atteintes du VIH et elles doivent trouver des docteurs plus amicaux en passant par des connaissances.

« Pourtant, la médecine moderne a fait disparaître tout risque. Aujourd’hui, le VIH est une maladie chronique comme le diabète. Avec un traitement ARV adéquat et un suivi médical, les femmes séropositives deviennent mères d’enfants en bonne santé, mais même certains travailleurs de la santé n’ont pas ces informations », explique Tahmina Khaïdarova.

Les discriminations banalisées dans les médias

Les journalistes locaux discriminent également les femmes atteintes du VIH. Les contenus consacrés à ce thème prennent souvent un angle péjoratif. Les médias confirment des stéréotypes, des stigmatisations et des préjugés, sans expliquer au public ce que représente aujourd’hui le VIH.

« Encore aujourd’hui, on rencontre chez les journalistes locaux des formulations comme « le sida : la peste du XXIème siècle », « la terreur du VIH » et autres affirmations qui n’ont rien à voir avec la réalité », raconte Tahmina Khaïdarova.

Souvent, les journalistes utilisent des formules intimidantes pour parler de cas d’affaires pénales (article 125 du code pénal tadjik, ndlr) ouvertes contres des femmes atteintes du VIH et accusées d’avoir consciemment contaminé leur mari.

Les discriminations, sources de violences faites aux femmes

La Convention sur l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l’égard des femmes, dont le Tadjikistan est signataire depuis 30 ans, affirme que l’inégalité et la discrimination de genre sont les raisons premières des violences faites aux femmes.

En fait, tout couple sérodiscordant (dont un des partenaires est séropositif et l’autre non, ndlr) peut tomber sous le coup de la première partie de l’article 125 du code pénal tadjik. Celle-ci indique : « placer consciemment une autre personne en position de risque de contamination au VIH. » Ainsi, elle fait référence non pas à la contamination factuelle, mais au risque d’infection. Et tous les séropositifs qui ont un partenaire sexuel le placent de fait face au risque d’être contaminé.

« Mais en réalité, les choses ne fonctionnent pas ainsi. Si une personne est sous traitement ARV, la charge virale est diminuée et même en cas de relation sexuelle non protégée, son partenaire n’attrapera pas le VIH », explique Tahmina Khaïdarova.

Les femmes atteintes de VIH plus discriminées que les hommes

La porte-parole raconte qu’à la douzième conférence internationale pour la recherche contre le VIH, qui a eu lieu du 23 au 26 juillet dernier à Brisbane, l’Organisation mondiale de la santé a présenté de nouvelles recommandations scientifiques et méthodiques en relation avec le VIH. Parmi elles, l’indication des seuils de charge virale nécessaires à la contamination par le VIH.

Ainsi, les personnes séropositives qui atteignent un niveau de charge virale inférieur à ce seuil grâce à l’observance du traitement ARV ne transmettent pas le VIH à leurs partenaires sexuels. Elles n’ont qu’un risque faible de transmettre verticalement le virus à leurs enfants.

De nombreuses affaires pénales qui ont résonné au Tadjikistan ont été lancées en s’appuyant sur la première partie de l’article 125. Mais en réalité, aucune des « victimes » n’a été contaminée par le VIH », révèle Tahmina Khaïdarova. Selon elle, bien que les hommes atteints de VIH soient aussi soumis à la discrimination, les femmes le sont davantage.

Des difficultés face à la justice

Le fait est que la société considère toujours qu’une femme atteinte du VIH a eu beaucoup de partenaires sexuels. Cependant, selon les statistiques, les travailleuses du sexe représentent seulement 1,7 % des femmes séropositives au Tadjikistan en 2022. Toutes les autres sont des femmes menant une vie ordinaire, parfois femmes au foyer, qui ont contracté le virus par leur mari.

« Il y a peu, nous avons été contactées par une femme séropositive. Elle était mariée, a eu un enfant, et son mari la battait. Il l’a battue même pendant sa grossesse, si bien qu’elle a perdu son deuxième enfant », raconte Tahmina Khaïdarova. « Bien que ce soit son mari qui lui a donné le VIH, sa famille l’a accusée, elle. »

« Elle est partie avec son enfant, loue une chambre et a trouvé un travail. Mais son ex-mari a récupéré l’enfant et la menace de la priver de ses droits sur lui parce qu’elle est séropositive, sans éducation et avec un salaire modeste avec lequel elle ne peut pas s’occuper de son enfant. »

Les tribunaux aussi discriminent les femmes, mêmes non atteintes du VIH. C’est pourquoi rien ne garantit que si son mari tente effectivement de la priver de son enfant, le juge s’aperçoive de l’absurdité et de l’injustice de la situation.

La rédaction d’Asia-Plus
Traduit du russe par Paulinon Vanackère

Сам заразил, но жену обвинил. Женщины с ВИЧ подвергаются в Таджикистане дискриминации

Женщинам с диагнозом ВИЧ в Таджикистане отказывают в поддержке не только родственники, но помощь могут не оказать даже врачи.

Женщины с ВИЧ – одна из самых дискриминируемых групп в Таджикистане. От них отворачивается всё общество, включая самых близких родственников; они не могут найти работу или получить медицинское обслуживание. При этом чаще всего никаких рисков здоровью окружающих эти женщины не несут.

В честь международной акции «16 дней активных действий против гендерного насилия» и Всемирного дня борьбы против СПИДа «Азия-Плюс» рассказывает о дискриминации, с которой они сталкиваются.

В Таджикистане существует целый список самых разных законов и документов, которые прямо или косвенно защищают людей, живущих с ВИЧ от дискриминации.

В прошлом году этот список пополнился еще одним законом «О равенстве и ликвидации всех форм дискриминации». В нем, к удовлетворению правозащитников, появилось понятие «косвенной дискриминации», с которой чаще всего сталкиваются уязвимые группы в Таджикистане. Однако женщин, живущих с ВИЧ, это важное описание в законе, не успокаивает, потому что именно эта группа населения каждый день сталкивается с прямой дискриминацией.

«Несмотря на то, что ВИЧ не передается бытовым путем, а современная АВР-терапия (терапия, которая замедляет развитие вируса и заболевание, – ред.) до минимума снижает вирусную нагрузку, дискриминации женщина с ВИЧ подвергается на каждом шагу, – говорит Тахмина Хайдарова, руководительница Сети женщин, живущих с ВИЧ. – Прежде всего, внутри семьи.

Как только выясняется, что у нее положительный статус, родственники сокращают с ней контакты, избегают ее. Со временем такое отношение будет сопровождать ее везде, где узнают о ее статусе».

Как это ни странно, отмечает Тахмина, женщины, живущие с ВИЧ, часто жалуются на проявление дискриминации со стороны медицинских работников: стоматологов, хирургов, акушеров, гинекологов. Доктора отказываются оказывать помощь женщинам с ВИЧ и им приходится искать дружественных специалистов через знакомых.

«При этом современная медицина сняла все риски: ВИЧ сегодня это такое же хроническое заболевание, как сахарный диабет. При адекватной АВР-терапии и врачебном уходе, женщины с ВИЧ становятся матерями здоровых детей, но даже у медицинских работников нет актуальной информации на этот счет, – поясняет Тахмина Хайдарова.

Дискриминируют женщин с ВИЧ и местные журналисты. В контенте, посвященном женщинам с ВИЧ, часто присутствуют уничижительные обороты, медиа транслируют стереотипы, стигму и предрассудки, и не объясняют аудитории о том, что собой сегодня представляет ВИЧ.

«До сих пор в материалах местных журналистов встречаются такие обороты, как “ВИЧ/СПИД – чума 21 века”, “ВИЧ-террор” и прочие утверждения, не имеющие ничего общего с реальностью», – говорит Хайдарова.

Часто журналисты используют устрашающие обороты при освещении случаев возбуждения уголовных статей (125 ст. УК РТ, – ред.) в отношении женщин с ВИЧ, которые якобы осознанно заражают мужчин.

В Конвенции о ликвидации всех форм дискриминации в отношении женщин (КЛДЖ), подписанной Таджикистаном 30 лет тому назад, говорится, что гендерное неравенство и дискриминация являются первопричинами насилия в отношении женщин.

«По сути, под первую часть 125 статьи УК Таджикистана могут попасть и все дискордантные пары (в которых один партнер с положительным статусом ВИЧ, другой – с отрицательным, – ред.). В этой части прописано: “Заведомое поставление другого лица в опасность заражения ВИЧ‐инфекцией”, то есть это не фактическое заражение, а риск заражения. И все люди с положительным ВИЧ-статусом, у которых есть половой партнер, фактически, ставят его под угрозу риска заражения.

Но по факту это не так: если человек принимает АРВ-терапию, его вирусная нагрузка снижена, и даже в случае незащищенного секса, его партнер не заразится ВИЧ», – говорит руководительница Сети женщин, живущих с ВИЧ.

Женщинам с ВИЧ достается больше

Она рассказывает, что на двенадцатой международной конференции по научным исследованиям ВИЧ, которая проходила 23–26 июля в австралийском городе Брисбен, Всемирная организация здравоохранения представила новые научные и методические рекомендации в отношении ВИЧ.

В них были приведены ключевые пороговые значения вирусной нагрузки при ВИЧ.

Так, ВИЧ-положительные лица, у которых благодаря соблюдению режима антиретровирусной терапии достигнут неопределяемый уровень вирусной нагрузки, не передают ВИЧ своим сексуальным партнерам и подвергаются низкому риску «вертикальной» передачи вируса своим детям.

«Многие громкие уголовные дела в Таджикистане были возбуждены именно по первой части статьи 125 УК. Но на деле никто из “пострадавших” не заразился ВИЧ», – объясняет Тахмина Хайдарова.

По ее словам, несмотря на то, что мужчины с положительным статусом ВИЧ также подвергаются дискриминации, женщинам достается больше.

Дело в том, что до сих пор общество считает, что женщина с ВИЧ – это женщина, у которой было много сексуальных партнеров. Тогда как по статистике секс-работниц среди женщин с ВИЧ в Таджикистане на конец 2022 года всего 1,7 %. Все остальные – это, как правило, обычные женщины-домохозяйки, которые заразились от своих мужей.

«К нам недавно обратилась женщина, живущая с ВИЧ: она была замужем, родила ребенка, муж ее ужасно избивал. Избивал даже во время беременности так, что она потеряла второго ребенка, – рассказывает Тахмина. – Несмотря на то, что именно муж заразил ее ВИЧ, его семья во всем обвиняла саму женщину.

Она ушла от него с ребенком, сняла комнату, устроилась на работу. Но бывший муж забрал ребенка и теперь угрожает лишить ее родительских прав, потому что у нее положительный статус ВИЧ, нет образования и маленькая зарплата, на которую она не может содержать ребенка».

Учитывая тот факт, что таджикские женщины даже без ВИЧ подвергаются дискриминации в судебных органах, нет никакой гарантии, что в случае, если мужчина, о котором рассказывает Тахмина, действительно попытается лишить свою бывшую жену родительских прав, в суде увидят всю абсурдность и несправедливость ситуации.

Подробнее: https://asiaplustj.info/ru/news/tajikistan/society/20231201/sam-zarazil-no-zhenu-obvinil-zhentshini-s-vich-podvergayutsya-v-tadzhikistane-diskriminatsii

Guinea: New HIV law updates law adopted by the National Assembly in 2009

National Transition Council adopts law on HIV/AIDS prevention, care and control

Translated via Deep.com. Scroll down for original article in French.

The National Transition Council (CNT) held its first plenary session of 2024 on Friday 12 January at the Palais du Peuple in Conakry. On the agenda was the examination and adoption of the bill on HIV prevention, care and protection for people living with HIV in the Republic of Guinea.

According to the report presented by the Health, Education, Social Affairs and Culture Committee and introduced by Sékou Doré, since 2005, the Republic of Guinea has been committed to developing a specific legal protection framework for people living with HIV, through Law L/2005/025/AN of 22 November 2005, on the prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS in Guinea, adopted by the National Assembly and then amended by Order N/2009/056/PRG/SGG of 29 December 2009.

Despite this significant progress, he recalled, many shortcomings have been noted in the application of the law and order, including

-Law L/2005/025/AN of 22 November 2005 on the prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS in Guinea is out of step with certain national laws (civil code, criminal code) and international human rights instruments ratified by Guinea;

-The failure to take account of gender (women and girls); the failure to take account of programmes for vulnerable groups; the restriction on HIV/AIDS education by specifically prohibiting any form of HIV/AIDS education for children under the age of 13; the compulsory HIV test prior to marriage, which is contraindicated in the fight against HIV; the ethical obligation to disclose a patient’s serological status to his or her sexual partners; the discriminatory provision prohibiting the abandonment of a spouse declared to be HIV-positive”, it explained.

According to the CNT, to remedy these legal shortcomings and fill the gaps in the old law, the government has initiated this bill to bring it into line with international conventions and treaties on the one hand, and to take account of the realities of our society and scientific advances in treatment on the other, in order to eliminate all forms of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

“Promote prevention and effective care, as well as research into HIV/AIDS strategies and programmes;

-Ensure that the rights of people living with and affected by HIV are protected and respected;

-Provide information, education, communication and training on HIV/AIDS;

Strengthen support and education for people living with HIV, those affected and other vulnerable groups;

-Reaffirm the fundamental rights and freedoms of people living with HIV;

-Reinforce measures to punish those guilty of deliberate transmission of HIV”.

According to the rapporteur, Sékou Doré, the criminal provisions relating to the punishment of discriminatory acts have been reworded as follows:

“Any person guilty of discriminatory acts against a person presumed or proven to be HIV-positive will be punished by a fine of between 5,000,000 and 15,000,000 Guinean francs and/or imprisonment for between 3 and 6 years.

Where the discriminatory act is committed by a person working in the field of health or combating HIV/AIDS, the penalties provided for in the previous paragraph will be doubled. Article 51 on the punishment of those responsible for the deliberate transmission of HIV has been reclassified as a felony instead of a misdemeanour and is punishable by a fine of between 20,000,000 and 30,000,000 Guinean francs. Any HIV-infected person who knows his or her serological status and who, through the use of force or coercion, has unprotected sexual intercourse with a person, whether vulnerable or not, with the proven aim of infecting that person, is liable to a fine of between 30,000,000 and 50,000,000 Guinean francs and a prison sentence of between 15 and 20 years (…)”.

Le CNT adopte la loi portant sur la prévention, la prise en charge et le contrôle du VIH/Sida

Le Conseil National de la Transition (CNT) a tenu sa première plénière de l’année 2024, ce vendredi 12 janvier au palais du peuple de Conakry. L’ordre du jour a porté sur l’examen et l’adoption du projet de loi portant prévention du VIH, prise en charge et protection des personnes vivant avec le VIH, en République de Guinée.

Selon le rapport présenté fait par la Commission Santé, Education, Affaires sociales et Culturelles et présenté par Sékou Doré, depuis 2005, la République de Guinée s’est engagée à élaborer un cadre spécifique de protection juridique des personnes vivant avec le VIH, à travers la loi «L/2005/025/AN du 22 novembre 2005, relative à la prévention, la prise en charge et le contrôle du VIH/Sida en Guinée, adoptée par l’Assemblée nationale, puis amendée par ordonnance N/2009/056/PRG/SGG du 29 décembre 2009.

Malgré cette avancée significative, a-t-il rappelé, force est de reconnaitre que de nombreuses insuffisances ont été constatées dans l’application de la loi et de l’ordonnance qui sont entre autres:

-Le déphasage de la loi L/2005/025/AN du 22 novembre 2005, relative à la prévention, la prise en charge et le contrôle du VIH/Sida en Guinée, avec certains textes nationaux (code civil, code pénal) et les instruments juridiques internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’homme que la Guinée a ratifiés;

–La non prise en compte du genre (les femmes et les filles); la non prise en compte des programmes en faveur des groupes vulnérables; la restriction à l’éducation sur le VIH/Sida en interdisant spécifiquement toute forme d’éducation sur le VIH/Sida aux enfants de moins de 13 ans; le test de VIH obligatoire avant le mariage contre-indiqué dans la lutte contre le VIH; l’obligation déontologique de dévoiler l’état sérologique d’un patient à ses partenaires sexuels ; la disposition discriminatoire concernant l’interdiction d’abandon de son (sa) conjoint (e) déclaré(e) séropositif (ve) », a-t-il expliqué.

D’après le CNT, pour pallier ces insuffisances juridiques et combler les lacunes de l’ancienne loi, le gouvernement a initié ce présent projet de loi pour l’adapter aux Conventions et Traités internationaux d’une part, et en tenant compte des réalités de notre société et des avancées scientifiques dans la prise en charge d’autre part, afin d’éliminer toute forme de stigmatisation et de discrimination contre les personnes vivant avec le VIH.

« -Promouvoir la prévention et la prise en charge efficace, ainsi que la recherche des stratégies et des programmes su rle VIH/Sida;

-Veiller à la protection et au respect des droits des personnes vivant avec et affectées par le VIH;

-Assurer l’information, l’éducation, la communication et la formation, en matière de VIH/Sida;

Renforcer l’encadrement et l’éducation des personnes vivant avec le VIH, des personnes affectées ainsi que d’autres groupes vulnérables;

-Réaffirmer les droits et libertés fondamentaux des personnes vivant avec le VIH;

-Renforcer les mesures de répression des personnes coupables de transmission volontaire du VIH ».

Selon le rapporteur Sékou Doré, des dispositions pénales relatives à la sanction des actes discriminatoires ont été reformulées comme suit :

«Toute personne coupable d’actes discriminatoires envers une personne présumée ou avérée séropositive sera punie d’une amende de 5.000.000 à 15.000.000 de francs guinéens et d’un emprisonnement de 3 à 6ans et ou de l’une de ces deux peines seulement.

Lorsque l’acte discriminatoire est le fait d’une personne intervenant dans le domaine de la santé ou de la lutte contre le VIH/Sida, les peines prévues à l’alinéa précédent seront portées au double. L’article 51 relatif à la sanction des auteurs de la transmission volontaire du VIH a été requalifié de crime au lieu de délit et est puni d’une amende de 20.000.000 à 30.000.000 de francs guinéens. Toute personne infectée par le VIH, qui connait son statut sérologique et qui par l’usage de la force ou de la contrainte entretient des rapports sexuels non protégés avec une personne vulnérable ou non, dans le but avéré de la contaminer, encourt une amende de 30.000.000 à 50.000.000 de francs guinéens et une peine d’emprisonnement de 15 à 20 ans (…)« .

Mexico: Only 4 States have repealed their HIV criminalisation articles, it is time for the others to follow suit

In 29 states, the “danger of contagion” category still criminalises people with HIV

Translated via Deep.com. Scroll down for original article in Spanish

Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosi and now Mexico City have repealed Article 159 that could lead to imprisonment for people living with HIV. ERRATUM: Nayarit also repealed its danger of contagion law in 2023. 

With 42 votes in favour, 2 against and 0 abstentions, the Congress of Mexico City endorsed the repeal of the criminal offence of HIV risk supported in Article 159, however, in 29 states of the Republic this figure is still in force.

According to the report “La legislación mexicana en materia dd VIH”, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí and now recently Mexico City are the only states in the Republic that do not use the figure “danger of contagion” to criminalise people with HIV.

According to data from the Mexican Network of Organisations against the Criminalisation of HIV, the criminalisation of this health condition is a phenomenon that is used to enact laws that punish the conduct of people suspected of transmitting HIV and whose application is specifically aimed at this population.

The wave of criminalisation under the category of “danger by contagion” was extended to people who had covid-19 during the pandemic, raising a red flag for human rights organisations.

Alaín Pinzón, director of the organisation VIH Libre, said that the category of danger by contagion is part of the stigma of the laws, which he stresses need to be harmonised.

“To think that HIV-positive people go through life being contagious is part of the stigma and prejudice that needs to be eradicated. HIV is transmitted, not spread,’ he said.

An example of the permanence of this article is reflected in states such as Oaxaca or Guerrero, where a person can spend up to 10 years in prison if it is confirmed that the disease he or she has is incurable.

In states such as Guanajuato, in order to get married, a person will be required to undergo nuptial examinations; if either of the persons involved is living with a chronic or incurable condition such as HIV, they will not be allowed to marry.

Even in states such as Veracruz, living with HIV can prevent the gaining of guardianship of a minor.

In the case of Mexico City, the elimination of article 169 of the penal code took a long years-long struggle, being promoted from the plenary by Temistocles Villanueva of Morena.

Only two states have a specific HIV law

Gonzalo Aburto, one of the pioneer activists in the fight against HIV and member of the Mexican HIV Network, mentions that only two states in the Mexican Republic have specific legislation for people with HIV, Mexico City and Veracruz, which hinders true access to justice.

“The use of punitive laws increases discrimination and stigma towards HIV status and places those living with the virus in a predisposed criminal status,” he said.

According to the Mexican HIV Network, so far there is no Federal Law on HIV. Only the federal instrument regulating the different aspects related to the care, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS operates: the Mexican Official Standard NOM-010-SSA2-2010.
However, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has issued four general recommendations on the matter and 27 on particular cases where the human rights of people living with HIV have been violated.

According to the network’s report, the violations can range from denial of health services for living with the virus to imprisonment under the crime of “danger of contagion”.

Women, children and indigenous communities are among the most vulnerable groups, according to the Mexican Network.

“Many of the laws to care for people with HIV need to be changed, many of them have not been updated for decades, without being updated on human rights issues,” said Gonzalo Aburto.

Some other acts of discrimination for living with HIV and studied by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) are: the liquidation of health workers for living with the virus, the dismissal of military personnel from the system for living with this health condition and medical negligence.

“Unfortunately in Mexico discriminatory practices and attitudes are still very common. Therefore, we must emphasise that HIV is not only a serious public health problem but also a conflict that cuts across social and human rights,” said the Mexican Network.

En 29 estados, la categoría “peligro de contagio” aún criminaliza a personas con VIH

Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí y ahora la CDMX han derogado en artículo 159 que podía llevar a la cárcel a las personas con VIH

Con 42 votos a favor, 2 en contra y 0 abstenciones, el Congreso de la Ciudad de México avaló la derogación del tipo penal por riesgo de contagio por VIH respaldado en el artículo 159, sin embargo, en 29 estados de la República está figura sigue siendo vigente.

Según el informe “La legislación mexicana en materia dd VIH”, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí y ahora recientemente la Ciudad de México; son los únicos estados de la República que no utilizan la figura “peligro de contagio” para criminalizar a las personas con VIH.

Datos de la Red Mexicana de Organizaciones contra la Criminalización del VIH, la criminalización de esta condición de salud es un fenómeno que se usa para promulgar leyes que castigan la conducta de las personas que se sospecha pueden transmitir el VIH y cuya aplicación se dirige específicamente a esta población.

La ola de criminalización por la categoría “peligro por contagio”, se traspaso a las personas que tenían covid-19 durante la pandemia, lo que ocasionó una alerta a las organizaciones de derechos humanos.

Alaín Pinzón, director de la organización VIH libre compartió que la categoría de peligro por contagio es parte del estigma de las leyes, que recalca, necesitan armonizarse.

“Pensar que las personas seropositivas vamos por la vida contagiando es partendel estigma y el perjuicio que se debe erradicar. El VIH se transmite, no se contagia’ puntualizó.

Un ejemplo de la permanencia de este artículo se refleja en estados como Oaxaca o Guerrero, donde una persona puede pasar hasta 10 años en la cárcel si se confirma que el mal que posee en incurable.

En estados como Guanajuato, para poder contraer matrimonio, se necesitara llevar exámenes nupciales; sí alguna de las personas involucradas vive con algún padecimiento crónico o incurable como el VIH, no se les permitirá contraer nupcias.

Incluso en estados como Veracruz, el vivir con VIH puede impedir la ganancia de la tutela de un menor de edad.

Para el caso de la Ciudad de México, el eliminar el artículo 169 del código penal llevó una lucha de muchos años, siendo impulsada desde el pleno por Temístocles Villanueva, de Morena.

Solo dos estados cuentan con ley específica en materia de VIH

Gonzalo Aburto, uno de los activistas pioneros en la lucha contra el VIH y miembro de la Red Mexicana de VIH, menciona que sólo dos estados de la República mexicana cuentan con legislación específica para personas con VIH, Ciudad de México y Veracruz, lo que dificulta el verdadero acceso a la justicia.

“El uso de leyes punitivistas aumentan la discriminación y el estigma hacia el estado del VIH y sitúa a quienes viven con el virus en un estatus predisposición delincuencial” mencionó.

Según la Red Mexicana de VIH, hasta el momento no existe una Ley Federal en materia de VIH. Únicamente opera el instrumento federal regulador de los diferentes aspectos vinculados con la atención, diagnóstico, prevención y tratamiento del VIH y el sida: la Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-010-SSA2-2010.
Sin embargo, la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDH) ha emitido cuatro recomendaciones generales en la materia y 27 sobre casos particulares donde fueron vulnerados los derechos humanos de personas que viven con VIH.

Según el informe elaborado desde la red, las vulneración pueden ir desde la negación de los servicios de salud por vivir con el virus hasta ir a la cárcel bajo el delito “peligro de contagio”.

Las mujeres, los infantes y las comunidades indígenas forman parte de lo grupos más vulnerables según datos de la Red Mexicana.

“Muchas de las leyes para atender a las personas con VIH necesitan cambiarse, muchas de ellas no se han actualizado desde hace décadas, sin estar actualizados en temas de derechos humanos” dijo Gonzalo Aburto.

Algunos otros actos de discriminación por vivir con VIH y estudiandos por la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) se encuentran: la liquidación de trabajadores de salud por vivir con el virus, la baja de militares del sistema por vivir con esta condición de salud y negligencia medica.

“Desafortunadamente en México las prácticas y las actitudes discriminatorias siguen siendo muy comunes. Por ello, debemos recalcar que el VIH no solo constituye un serio problema de salud pública sino, además, es un conflicto que atraviesa lo social y los derechos humanos” mencionó la Red Mexicana.

US: Williams Institute publishes new report on the enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Maryland

Williams Institute report: Black people account for 82 percent of HIV criminal cases in Md.

A report the Williams Institute released on Thursday notes Black people account for 82 percent of HIV-related criminal cases in Maryland.

The report notes Black people account for 30 percent of Maryland’s population, and 71 percent of people living with HIV in the state. The Williams Institute report also indicates Black men account for 14 percent of Maryland’s population and 44 percent of people living with HIV in the state, but comprise 68 percent of people accused in HIV-related criminal cases.

The report indicates at least 104 cases and at least 148 charges of “knowingly transferring HIV to another” in Maryland from 2000-2020. Three of the 104 cases, according to the report, “alleged only attempted ‘knowing transferring HIV to another.’”

Sixty-nine percent of “enforcement of HIV criminal laws” in Maryland happened in three jurisdictions: Baltimore City (32 percent), Montgomery County (19 percent) and Prince George’s County (18 percent.)

“Maryland’s law was enacted in 1989 at the height of the AIDS crisis before we had effective treatments for HIV,” said Williams Institute Criminalization Project Director Nathan Cisneros, who is the study’s lead author. “We now have medical treatments that wholly eliminate the risk of transmitting HIV through sex, yet these advances are not reflected in Maryland law despite several reform attempts in recent years.”

Section 18-601.1 of Maryland’s Health Code states “an individual who has the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may not knowingly transfer or attempt to transfer the human immunodeficiency virus to another individual.” Anyone “who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction” could face a fine of up to $2,500 and/or up to three years in prison.

The Williams Institute based its report on data it obtained from the Maryland State Administrative Office of the Courts.

Download the full report

Russia: Human rights commissioner calls for criminalisation of pregnant women with HIV refusing treatment

Ombudsman in Novosibirsk proposes to try pregnant women with HIV for refusing treatment

Translated via Deepl.com. Scroll down for original text in Russian.

Nina Shalabaeva, Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Novosibirsk Region, proposed to punish pregnant women with HIV for refusing treatment. She made the statement during a TASS press conference.

– A woman can refuse treatment. But I believe that this is wrong, because there is a risk that the child will fall ill too. Therefore, I would make a proposal on criminal liability for pregnant women evading therapy,” Nina Shalabaeva said.
According to Novosibirskstat, in 2022 in the region registered 2 thousand first-time HIV-infected people. Over the year, the rate of primary HIV infections increased by 6%.

Омбудсмен в Новосибирске предложила судить беременных с ВИЧ за отказ от терапии

Новосибирский омбудсмен предложила судить беременных с ВИЧ за отказ от лечения
Уполномоченная по правам человека в Новосибирской области Нина Шалабаева предложила наказывать беременных с ВИЧ за отказ от лечения. Заявление она сделала в ходе пресс-конференции ТАСС.

– Женщина может отказаться от лечения. Но я считаю, что это неправильно, потому что есть риск, что и ребенок заболеет. Поэтому я бы внесла предложение об уголовной ответственности за то, что беременные уклоняются от терапии, – сказала Нина Шалабаева.
Согласно данным Новосибирскстата, в 2022 году в регионе зарегистрировали 2 тысячи впервые выявленных ВИЧ-инфицированных. За год показатель первичной заболеваемости ВИЧ-инфекциями вырос на 6%.

Mexico: Puebla deputy withdraws his HIV criminalisation proposal following criticisms from HIV and human rights organisations

Morena deputy criticised for initiative that criminalises people with HIV in Puebla

Translated via Deepl.com. Scroll down for original article in Spanish

Collectives and activists criticised Carlos Evangelista’s initiative that criminalises and seeks to impose up to 10 years in prison.

The local Morena deputy Carlos Evangelista Aniceto has been criticised by groups and activists for presenting an initiative that criminalises people with HIV or any other sexually transmitted infection.

The proposal seeks to reform the Penal Code of the State of Puebla to impose up to 10 years in prison on anyone who, knowing that they suffer from a venereal disease, chronic or serious, incurable and sexually transmissible disease, puts the health of another person at risk of contagion.

Carlos Evangelista boasted on his social networks the initiative that he presented this Thursday, November 9 before the Congress of Puebla, which was turned to the Commission of Procuration and Administration of Justice for its study and, if necessary, appropriate resolution.

“I presented an initiative with the aim that whoever suffers from a venereal disease or other chronic disease transmissible by sexual means or any other direct means that puts another person at risk of contagion and in the event that the disease suffered was incurable, impose up to 10 years in prison, as well as to those who without the consent of those who can legally give it, abstain, stop using or fraudulently damage a contraceptive method”, he proposed.

Carlos Evangelista’s initiative was rejected by the groups Vida Plena Puebla, Red La Morada and the Observatorio Ciudadano de Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (Odesyr), considering that it criminalises people living with HIV or sexually transmitted infections, as well as promoting stigma, discrimination, prejudice, ignorance and violence towards this historically vulnerable social sector.

The organisations and activists demanded that the proposal be withdrawn from Congress and that the Morena deputy receive training from the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) and the National Council for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS (Censida).

Following the criticism he received, Carlos Evangelista asked the state Congress to withdraw the initiative he presented on Thursday, arguing that “legislating in favour of vulnerable groups and the most unprotected” has been his objective in the local legislature.

Critican a diputado de Morena por iniciativa que criminaliza a personas con VIH en Puebla

Colectivos y activistas reprocharon la iniciativa de Carlos Evangelista que criminaliza y busca imponer hasta 10 años de prisión

Colectivos y activistas criticaron al diputado local de Morena Carlos Evangelista Aniceto por presentar una iniciativa que criminaliza a las personas con VIH o con cualquier infección de transmisión sexual.

La propuesta busca reformar el Código Penal del Estado de Puebla para imponer hasta 10 años de prisión a quien sabiendo que padece un mal venéreo, enfermedad crónica o grave, incurable y que sea transmisible por vía sexual, ponga en peligro de contagio la salud de otra persona.

Carlos Evangelista presumió en sus redes sociales la iniciativa que presentó este jueves 9 de noviembre ante el Congreso de Puebla, misma que fue turnada a la Comisión de Procuración y Administración de Justicia para su estudio y, en su caso, resolución procedente.

“Presenté una iniciativa con la finalidad de que quien padezca algún mal venéreo u otra enfermedad crónica transmisible por vía sexual o cualquier otro medio directo que ponga en riesgo de contagio a otra persona y en caso de que la enfermedad padecida fuera incurable, imponer hasta 10 años de prisión, de igual manera al que sin el consentimiento de quien legalmente pueda otorgarlo, se abstenga, deje de utilizar o dañe dolosamente un método anticonceptivo”, propuso.

La iniciativa de Carlos Evangelista fue rechazada por los colectivos Vida Plena Puebla, Red La Morada y el Observatorio Ciudadano de Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (Odesyr), al considerar que criminaliza a las personas que viven con VIH o infecciones de transmisión sexual, además de que fomenta el estigma, la discriminación, prejuicios, la ignorancia y la violencia hacia este sector social e históricamente vulnerado.

Las organizaciones y activistas exigieron que la propuesta sea retirada del Congreso y que el diputado de Morena reciba capacitación de la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH) y el Consejo Nacional para la Prevención y el Control del VIH y el Sida (Censida).

Tras las críticas que recibió, Carlos Evangelista pidió al Congreso del estado retirar la iniciativa que presentó este mismo jueves, argumentando que “legislar a favor de los grupos vulnerables y los más desprotegidos” ha sido su objetivo en el Legislativo local.

South Korea: Constitutional court declares HIV criminalisation provisions constitutional despite split opinions

On 26 October 2023, the Constitutional Court, in a 4 (constitutional) : 5 (partially unconstitutional) opinion, ruled that Articles 19 and 25 (2) of the ‘Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease Prevention Act’ (as amended by Act No. 11749 of 5 April 2013), which prohibit a person infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from committing an act of transmission to another person through blood or bodily fluids, and punish a violation with imprisonment for up to three years, are both constitutional. [Constitutionality].

However, there is a partial unconstitutional opinion by Justices Yoo Nam-seok, Kim Ki-young, Moon Hyung-bae, Lee Im-sun, and Jung Jeong-mi that the part of the above provisions that prohibits and punishes the transmission of infection by an infected person who faithfully implements the treatment prescribed by a medical practitioner is unconstitutional.

○ This case is the first case in which the Constitutional Court has decided on the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus by an infected person, and heard arguments from the Korean Health Service, the defendant’s counsel, and the witnesses (medical experts and professors).

○ The constitutionality of the provision under review was declared unconstitutional by four judges, partially unconstitutional by five judges, and partially unconstitutional by a majority of judges, but not by the quorum of judges (six judges) to determine unconstitutionality.

The full Court decision is available on request.

 

New report from Williams Institute finds that HIV criminalisation in Arkansas disproportionately impacts Black men

Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Arkansas

Overview

The Williams Institute analyzed data from the state of Arkansas about individuals who came into contact with the state’s criminal system through allegations of HIV-related crimes. We analyzed both law enforcement arrest data and data from the state’s Department of Corrections and sex offender registries to understand the beginning and end stages of the criminalization cycle. In total, we estimate that at least 108 people have had contact with Arkansas’ criminal system because of allegations of HIV crimes.

Findings

  • There have been at least 119 charges at arrest for allegations of HIV-related crimes since 1990, including four charges for failure to disclose one’s HIV status to a medical professional.
  • Arrests continue to the present day, with the latest arrest in 2022—the latest year for which data were available.
  • Enforcement is highly concentrated by geography:
    • 18% of all arrests originated with Little Rock Police Department, followed by Fort Collins Police Department (10%).
    • Likewise, Pulaski County originated one-third of all HIV-related arrests, followed by Sebastian County with 12% of arrests, and Miller County with 5% of arrests. In contrast, most counties had one or no arrests.
  • The racial composition of people arrested for allegations of HIV-related crimes skews Black: Black people were 48% of all HIV-related arrests, but only 15% of the state’s population, and 43% of people living with HIV in the state:
      • Black men in particular were overrepresented—7% of the state’s population, 31% of people living with HIV, and 44% of HIV-related arrests.
  • Four in five arrests (80%) that proceeded to the prosecution phase resulted in a guilty outcome. Only one case resulted in a not guilty outcome, and the remaining cases had charges dropped or prosecutors declined to pursue the case.
  • The youngest person with an HIV-related conviction was 18 years old.
  • Fourteen people were currently on the sex offender registry for an HIV-related conviction in 2023.
    • Half of these people were Black men, although Black men made up only 22% of the overall sex offender registry.
  • Twenty-one people across two snapshots of people in Arkansas Department of Corrections (DOC) custody (in 2007 and 2023) had HIV-related convictions mandating a sentence:
    • The average sentence per count for the HIV-related conviction was 24 years.
    • Four people only had HIV-related convictions; they had no other current or prior convictions.
    • Black men were 57% of all people with an HIV-related DOC sentence, compared to 38% of all people in DOC custody.

Download the full report

Costa Rica: Organisation of People Living with HIV responds to proposed law to reinstate HIV Criminalisation

Policies that criminalise HIV are policies of death

Translated via Deepl.com. For article in Spanish, please scroll down

The Positivxs Organisation, an association of people living with HIV and STIs, told Yafit Ohana that “policies that criminalise HIV are policies of death”.

The organisation’s statements follow “the appearance of Ms Yafit Ohana before the Human Rights Commission of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. In that dialogue, she confirmed that she had met several times with the President of the Republic, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, to propose the creation of a law criminalising intentional HIV transmission with penalties equal to those for murder. Ms. Ohana also said that her criminalization proposal is relevant because it aims to protect Costa Rican women and children.

In this regard, the members of Asociación Positivxs, an association of people living with HIV and STIs, want to communicate:

Policies that criminalize people living with HIV have been part of Costa Rica’s history. It is no secret that LGBTIQA+ people were persecuted under the excuse of preventing the transmission of the virus by the government of Oscar Arias Sanchez and the Ministry of Health led by former Minister Edgar Mohs through mandatory HIV testing for public sector work and raids on LGBTIQA+ bars between 1986 and 1987. It is always important to remember the open letter to the Ministry of Health by activists and social organisations of sexually diverse people in the daily newspaper Nación in 1987.

But years have passed, science has advanced and a virus like HIV is no longer a death sentence. Over the last ten years, science has talked tirelessly about it: Undetectable is untransmissible, i.e. a person who has access to antiretroviral treatment and takes it regularly has no chance of transmitting the virus through sex, breastfeeding or childbirth. Because of this, sister organisations working on HIV in the country and independent activists worked to update the General Law on HIV. This change happened in the last government and removed the criminalisation for transmitting the virus in order to respond to Human Rights guidelines.

Why should Costa Rica go back to targeting its most vulnerable populations? We know that policies that criminalise HIV exist in countries such as Canada and some states in the United States. But according to UNAIDS reports in 2021, what these laws have done is to accentuate the wounds of inequality in the most vulnerable populations and keep people living with HIV away from health centres when we need them most.

People living with HIV are men, women, children, we are migrants, we are non-binary people, we are substance users, we can be anyone, anywhere. We are people who simply because we are alive deserve a peaceful life where we are not criminalised for living with a virus.

Regarding Ms Ohana’s unfortunate statements, it is also important to mention that there are women with HIV and there are children with HIV and that policies that criminalise the transmission of the virus under the argument of sexual violence, also criminalise us.

We believe that instead of talking about us as sexual predators and thinking that we are going to transmit the virus voluntarily, the work of the State and public opinion should be to discuss and work to create policies that ensure access to health in a supportive, timely and humane way.

There is still a lot of work to be done in the country when it comes to HIV, for example there are these problems:

People are still dying from AIDS-related causes.
There are still trans sisters who experience violence within the Costa Rican health system.
There are still many obstacles to getting a woman cleared for HIV testing.
There are still ongoing logistical problems that affect access to treatment.
Rules and regulations have not yet been passed to enforce the provisions of the Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Law Reform 9797.

“For this reason we want to urge CONASIDA, the representatives of society before CONASIDA, the Ministry of Health and all those who wish to join us in putting pressure on the various state authorities to propose policies, laws, rules and regulations that put an end to the problems that exist in the country when it comes to HIV,” they said.

“To achieve this, it is necessary to leave behind policies based on hate and generate policies that heal the wounds of inequality that this country has inflicted on people with HIV throughout history,” they concluded.

Las políticas que criminalizan el VIH son políticas de muerte, señala organización de personas con VIH a Yafit Ohana

La Organización Positivxs, una asociación de personas con VIH e ITS, la señaló a Yafit Ohana que “las políticas que criminalizan el VIH son políticas de muerte”.

Las declaraciones de la organización se dan luego de “la comparecencia de la señora Yafit Ohana ante la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica. En dicho diálogo la señora confirmó que se reunió varias veces con el Presidente de la República, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, para proponer la creación de una ley que penalice la transmisión intencional del VIH con penas iguales a las de un asesinato. Ohana también afirmó que su propuesta de criminalización es pertinente pues pretende proteger a las mujeres y a la niñez costarricense”.

Al respecto, las personas que integramos la Asociación Positivxs, una asociación de personas con VIH e ITS, queremos comunicar:

Las políticas que criminalizan a las personas que vivimos con VIH han sido parte de la historia de Costa Rica. No es un secreto que las personas LGBTIQA+ fuimos perseguidas bajo la excusa de prevenir la transmisión del virus por el gobierno de Oscar Arias Sánchez y el Ministerio de Salud dirigido por el ex-ministro Edgar Mohs a través de la obligatoriedad de las pruebas de VIH para trabajar en el sector público y las redadas a bares de personas LGBTIQA+ entre 1986 y 1987. Siempre es importante recordar la carta abierta al Ministerio de Salud que hicieron activistas y organizaciones sociales de personas sexualmente diversas en el diario Nación en 1987.

Pero los años han pasado, la ciencia ha avanzado y un virus como el VIH ya no representa una sentencia de muerte. Durante los últimos diez años la ciencia a hablado incansablemente sobre: Indetectable es intransmisible, es decir, una persona que tenga acceso a tratamiento antirretroviral y lo consuma de forma regular no tiene ninguna posibilidad de transmitir el virus por vía sexual, lactancia o parto. Debido a ello, organizaciones hermanas que trabajan VIH en el país y activistas independientes trabajaron por actualizar la Ley General de VIH. Cambio que sucedió en el gobierno pasado y eliminó la penalización por transmitir el virus con el fin de responder a los lineamientos de Derechos Humanos.

¿Por qué Costa Rica debería volver a atacar a sus poblaciones más vulnerables? Sabemos que las políticas que criminalizan el VIH existen en países como Canadá o algunos estados de los Estados Unidos. Pero según informes de ONUSIDA en 2021, estas leyes lo que han hecho es acentuar las heridas de desigualdad en las poblaciones más vulnerables y alejar a las personas que vivimos con VIH de los centros de salud cuando más lo necesitamos.

Las personas con VIH somos hombres, mujeres, infancias, somos personas migrantes, personas no binarias, somos personas usuarias de sustancias, podemos ser cualquier persona en cualquier lugar. Somos personas que simplemente por el hecho de estar con vida merecemos una vida tranquila en la que no se nos criminalice por vivir con un virus.

Sobre las lamentables declaraciones de la señora Ohana, también es importante mencionar que existimos mujeres con VIH y que existen infancias con VIH y que políticas que criminalizan transmitir el virus bajo el argumento de la violencia sexual, también nos criminaliza a nosotras.

Creemos que en lugar de hablar de nosotres como depredadores sexuales y pensar que vamos a transmitir el virus de forma voluntaria, la labor del Estado y la opinión pública debe ser discutir y trabajar por crear políticas que aseguren el acceso a la salud de forma solidaria, oportuna y humana.

Aún queda mucho trabajo que hacer en el país cuando se habla de VIH, por ejemplo están estos problemas:

Aún mueren personas por causas relacionadas al sida.
Aún hay hermanas trans que viven violencia dentro del sistema de salud costarricense.
Aún hay muchos obstáculos para que le den el visto bueno a una mujer para que se haga pruebas de VIH.
Aún hay constantes problemas logísticos que afectan el acceso al tratamiento.
Aún no se han aprobado normas y reglamentos que hagan cumplir lo escrito en la Reforma de la Ley Integral de VIH-sida 9797

“Por ello queremos exhortar a CONASIDA, a las representaciones de sociedad ante CONASIDA, al Ministerio de Salud y a todas las personas que se deseen sumar a presionar a las distintas autoridades estatales para que propongan políticas, leyes, normas y reglamentos que acaben con los problemas citados existen en el país cuando se habla de VIH”, expresaron.

“Para lograrlo es necesario dejar atrás políticas basadas en el odio y generar políticas que sanen las heridas de desigualdad que este país ha causado en las personas con VIH a lo largo de la historia”, concluyeron.