Despite the fact that HIV is now a treatable medical condition, the majority of U.S. states still have laws on the books that criminalize exposing other people to HIV. Whether or not the virus is transmitted does not matter. Neither does a person’s intention to cause harm. A person simply must be aware of being HIV-positive to be found guilty.
These laws are enforced mainly on marginalized people living in poverty who cannot afford lawyers. The penalties – felony convictions and being placed on sex offender registries – are severe and life altering.
It is difficult to know exactly how many people are affected by HIV criminal laws, since a central database of such arrests does not exist. The HIV Justice Network has collected a partial list of 2,923 HIV criminal cases since 2008 based on media reports.
I am a professor of social work who studies the impact of HIV criminal laws from the perspective of people who have been arrested. My research shows such statutes are outdated, harm people living with HIV and exacerbate the spread of the virus by driving people into hiding and away from treatment services.
I actually agree! There are a lot of very angry individuals who have knowingly infected others – while knowing they where infected. Not cool. It’s treatable, but thus far not cureable!
No comment. Too ridiculous to waste time on. Now, to more pressing issues.
Intentionally or negligently infecting someone with a deadly disease? Now 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 a sex crime!
I was at least encouraged to read that a major news magazine referred to the registry as “a relentless and unending punishment.” That characterization is central to many constitutional challenges, and every little reference helps.
Veritas.
HIV criminals are very dangerous, narcissistic people and should be labeled SVP’S and forced to register for life, after they get out of prison.
This morning I was reading SB384 section 290.46 on who and what personal information will be displayed on Megan’s law website after January 1st 2022, and for some people life on the registry might get a little bit easier but for outhers it’s gonna get extremely harder to survive here in California.
After the Adam Walsh act was passed on july 27th, 2006 the sex offender Witch Hunt didn’t begin till around July 27th, 2007 and by 2008 law enforcement agencies all across the country were hunting down sex offenders and throwing them into prison for FTR.
Because the California tier system is so new we don’t know how or what tiers will me monitored and treated more harshly by Law Enforcement agencies
TIER 1-VERY LOW RISK TO REOFFEND.
TIER 2-MODERATE RISK TO REOFFEND.
TIER 3-VERY HIGH RISK TO
REOFFEND.
Good luck