The U.S. Department of Justice Calls on States to Eliminate or Reform Archaic HIV Criminalization Laws

Published on Friday, 18 July 2014 07:11 The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued guidance to help end HIV criminalization – the use of criminal law to prosecute and penalize people living with HIV for conduct that would be legal if they did not get tested or know their status. DOJ’s guidance, titled “Best Practices Guide to Reform HIV-Specific Criminal Laws to Align with Scientifically-Supported Factors,” provides technical assistance to ensure that HIV-related criminal laws and policies reflect contemporary medical and scientific understanding of the routes, risks, and consequences of HIV transmission.

A White House Press Release dated July 15, 2014, announced the release of the Best Practices Guide as part of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which envisions that “the United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare and when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socio-economic circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.” Download the report  

Source: The Center for HIV Law and Policy