15 Ways HIV Criminalization Laws Harm Us All

Lambda Legal is working to repeal or reform HIV criminalization laws throughout the United States. An HIV criminalization law is one that specifically targets and punishes people living with HIV for engaging in conduct that would otherwise be legal if not for the person’s HIV status. Most of these laws do not require transmission of HIV and are based on the mere failure to announce one’s medical condition to a potential partner prior to engaging in sexual contact. Below we describe 15 ways these laws harm public health, result in unjust prosecutions, and serve primarily to stigmatize and oppress people living with HIV.