This is Section 6 of Responding to the Criminalization of HIV Transmission or Exposure: Resources for lawyers and advocates. Access the full kit at hivlegalnetwork.ca/lawyers-kit.

This section provides information about the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure, exposure and/or transmission across the world as well as actions taken to reduce inappropriate use of the criminal law against people living with HIV. The section includes materials describing the challenges associated with HIV criminalization and its impact on public health and human rights.

Global Advocacy

• S. Cameron and E. Bernard.  Advancing HIV Justice 3: Growing the global movement against HIV criminalisation. HIV Justice Network, Amsterdam, May 2019.

Policy Considerations

• R. Jürgens et al., “Ten reasons to oppose the criminalization of HIV exposure or transmission,” Reproductive Health Matters 17, 34 (2009): pp. 163-172. (Abstract)
• Athena Network, Ten Reasons Why Criminalization of HIV Exposure or Transmission Harms Women, 2009.
• E. Cameron, “Criminalization of HIV transmission: poor public health policy,” HIV/AIDS Policy and Law Review 14, 2 (2009).
• S. Burris and E. Cameron, “The Case Against Criminalization of HIV Transmission,” JAMA 300, 5 (2008): pp. 578–581.
• J. Csete, R. Pearshouse, and A. Symington., “Vertical HIV transmission should be excluded from criminal prosecution,” Reproductive Health Matters 17, 34 (2009): pp. 154–162. (Abstract)

Key position statements against criminalization

• Resolution of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Concerning HIV Criminalization (U.S.), (May 21, 2016).
• National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (U.S.), “National HIV/AIDS Strategy Imperative: Fighting Stigma and Discrimination by Repealing HIV-Specific Criminal Statutes,” (February 2011).
• National AIDS Council of Germany, Consensus statement on HIV criminalization following consensual sex, (February 2013). (Unofficial English translation here.)
• Canadian Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, “Position Statement on HIV Criminalization,” (2011).
• HIV Medicine Association (U.S.), “HIVMA Urges Repeal of HIV-Specific Criminal Statutes,” (October 2012).
• Oslo Declaration on HIV Criminalization. Prepared by international civil society in Oslo, Norway, on February 13, 2012. (Available in many other languages at http://www.hivjustice.net/oslo/.)

Impact on Public Health and People Living with HIV

Videos

• Positive Women: Exposing Injustice, 2012 (free online documentary produced by the HIV Legal Network, formerly the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, and Goldelox Productions on the criminalization of HIV and its impact on women in Canada).
• More HARM Than GOOD, 2013 (free online documentary produced by the HIV Justice Network on HIV criminalization and its impact on public health).
• Consent: HIV non-disclosure and sexual assault law, 2015 (free online documentary produced by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Goldelox Productions on the problems of using sexual assault law to prosecute alleged non-disclosure of HIV).

Articles and Reports

• C Dodds et al., Keeping Confidence: HIV and the criminal law from service provider perspectives. Sigma Research, London, March 2013, see notably “Responsibility and Public Health.”
• P. O’Byrne, “Criminal Law and Public Health Practice: Are the Canadian HIV Disclosure Laws an Effective HIV Prevention Strategy?”, Sexuality Research and Social Policy 9 (2012): pp. 70–79.
• P. O’Byrne and M. Gagnon, “Special issue on the ramifications of the current context of criminal prosecutions for non-disclosure of HIV status on nursing practice,” Aporia: The Nursing Journal 4, 2 (April 2012).
• P. O’Byrne, A. Bryan, and C. Woodyatt, “Nondisclosure prosecutions and HIV prevention: Results from an Ottawa-based gay men’s sex survey,” Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care 24, 1 (2013): pp. 81–87.
• E. Mykhalovskiy, “The problem of ‘significant risk’: Exploring the public health impact of criminalizing HIV non-disclosure,” Social Science & Medicine 73, 5 (2011): pp. 668–675.
• K.J. Horvath et al., “Should it be illegal for HIV-positive persons to have unprotected sex without disclosure? An examination of attitudes among US men who have sex with men and the impact of state law,” AIDS Care 22 (2010): pp. 1221–1228. (abstract only)
• C. Dodds, A. Bourne, and M. Weait, Responses to criminal prosecutions for HIV transmission among gay men with HIV in England and Wales, Reproductive Health Matters 17, 34 (2009): pp. 135–145.
• C.L. Galletly and J. B. Dickson-Gomez, “HIV seropositive status disclosure to prospective sex partners and the criminal laws that require it: Perspectives of persons living with HIV,” International Journal of STD & AIDS 20, 9 (2009): pp. 613–618. (abstract only)
• Burris et al., “Do criminal laws influence HIV risk behaviour? An empirical trial,” Ariz. State Journal 39 (2007): pp. 467–520.
• B.G. Brenner et al., “High rates of forward transmission events after acute/early HIV-1 infection,” The Journal of Infectious Disease 195, 7 (2007): pp. 951–959.
• C.L. Galletly and S.D. Pinkerton, “Conflicting messages: How criminal HIV disclosure laws undermine public health efforts to control the spread of HIV,” AIDS Behavior 10 (2006): pp 451–461. (Abstract)
• C. Dodds and P. Keogh, “Criminal prosecutions for HIV transmission: people living with HIV respond,” International Journal of STD & AIDS 17 (2006): pp. 315–318. Available at ijsa.rsmjournals.com.
• P. O’Byrne, A. Bryan and M. Roy, “HIV criminal prosecutions and public health:
  an examination of the empirical research,” Medical Humanities ; London  Vol. 39, Iss. 2,  (Dec 2013): 85.

The Latest Information: Keep Yourself Informed!

• HIV Justice Network (International)
• GNP+ Global Criminalisation Scan (International)
• Center for HIV Law and Policy (U.S.)