Overview
There is no HIV-specific criminal law in Gabon, however a proposal for enacting an HIV-specific law was put forward in 2011, but following strong advocacy from local organisations and international agencies, the proposed bill was subsequently abandoned. It does however resurface on a regular basis during meetings attended by the government and is continually been opposed by civil society organisations who remain vigilant.
To our knowledge there has just been one reported case concerning HIV ‘exposure’. This case from 2019 involved a woman alleging her husband intended to transmit HIV to her through his polygamous marriage to another woman who was living with HIV. The man was arrested and released on bail, but the outcome of the case is not known.
Acknowledgements
Report presenting the results of a survey on HIV criminalization in African countries where French is spoken (hereinafter "Francophone Africa"), conducted from May to September 2017.
Authors: Stéphanie Claivaz-Loranger & Cécile Kazatchkine for the Canadian HIV Legal Network and HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE
HIV Justice Network's Positive Destinations
Visit the Gabon page on Positive Destinations for information on regulations that restrict entry, stay, and residency based on HIV-positive status, as well as access to HIV treatment for non-nationals.
