{"id":24589,"date":"2024-11-28T09:32:05","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T14:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/?post_type=news22&p=24589"},"modified":"2024-11-28T09:32:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T14:32:05","slug":"media-release-the-government-of-canada-has-broken-its-promise-to-reform-the-laws-that-criminalize-people-living-with-hiv","status":"publish","type":"news22","link":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/media-release-the-government-of-canada-has-broken-its-promise-to-reform-the-laws-that-criminalize-people-living-with-hiv\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Release: The Government of Canada has broken its promise to reform the laws that criminalize people living with HIV"},"content":{"rendered":"People living with HIV in Canada still live under the threat of ongoing criminalization; Canadian Government\u2019s decision to abandon law reform efforts met with disappointment and anger<\/em><\/p>\n

November 28, 2024 \u2013 Ottawa, ON \u2014<\/strong> With World AIDS Day approaching on December 1, and as a 2025 federal election looms, the Government of Canada has communicated to the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (CCRHC) that is has abandoned any plans for law reform surrounding HIV criminalization. People living with HIV are left in the dark, knowing only that their rights are once again being pushed aside.<\/p>\n

A Critical Moment<\/strong><\/p>\n

This could not come at a worse time. Canada is currently at the bottom of G7 countries in terms of reducing new HIV infections. In fact, reported cases have been steadily rising in Canada since 2020, taking us farther and farther from our goals. HIV criminalization and related stigma certainly contribute to this alarming trend, placing Canada at odds with the science and global consensus on how to best reduce HIV transmission and respect the dignity and rights of people living with HIV. UNAIDS reported in a November 26th<\/sup> media release that \u201cCriminalization and stigmatization of marginalized communities is obstructing access to life-saving HIV services.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Current Situation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently, people living with HIV in Canada are subject to criminal prosecutions under the laws of sexual assault, resulting in convictions, imprisonment, and registration as a sex offender, even when there is little or no risk of transmission. Medical and legal experts the world over agree that this does not align with the science of transmission and can drive people away from seeking diagnosis, treatment, and supports. In Canada, it is well documented that the harms caused by HIV criminalization are experienced in unique, disproportionate, and often insidious ways, by Black and Indigenous people.<\/p>\n

A Call to Action<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are tired of the lives of people living with HIV being caught up in politicking,\u201d says Alex McClelland of the CCRHC. \u201cGood intentions and shelved \u2018action plans\u2019 do not change the living reality of people in Canada who experience persecution because of their health condition. Law reform takes actual effort, commitment, and a willingness to do what is right and just. Unfortunately, the Government of Canada appears to be casting people living with HIV aside as part of a political calculation ahead of an election. It speaks volumes.\u201d<\/p>\n

A History of Broken Commitments<\/strong><\/p>\n

Members of the CCRHC have been working to reform HIV criminalization with the current federal government since it was first elected in 2015; CCRHC members were hopeful that change would soon come after the government launched nationwide consultations in December 2022. These consultations followed numerous acknowledgements by the Government of Canada that the status quo is causing harm:<\/p>\n