Senegal: New bill further criminalises LGBT people as well as advocacy and funding with major implications for civil society

Government tightens repressive measures against ‘unnatural acts’: Advocacy now punishable by imprisonment

Translated with AI – Scroll down for original article in French

Adopted by the Council of Ministers, the bill amends Article 319 of the Senegalese Penal Code: broadened definition, heavier penalties and, for the first time, criminalisation of advocacy and financing of such acts. Combined with Article 139 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, this text paves the way for systematic preventive detention for anyone who publicly expresses support for or finances activities in favour of LGBT people.

The Senegalese government wants to take a significant step forward in strengthening its legislation against homosexuality. At Wednesday’s Council of Ministers meeting, a bill amending Article 319 of Law No. 65-60 of 21 July 1965 on the Penal Code was examined and adopted. This text, which must still be submitted to the National Assembly for final promulgation, has three distinct parts: clarification of the legal definition of unnatural acts, tougher penalties, and, most innovatively, the inclusion of advocacy and funding of such acts in the sanctions.

Until now, Article 319, paragraph 3, of the Penal Code, in its version resulting from Law 66-16 of 12 February 1966, provided for imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of 100,000 to 1,500,000 CFA francs for any indecent or unnatural act committed with a person of the same sex. The text was deliberately general, with some legal experts describing it as a ‘catch-all’ provision, and only targeted the perpetrator of the act. The new reform aims to clarify the legal meaning of the concept of unnatural acts, increase the applicable penalties, and, above all, cross a new threshold: punishing not only the acts themselves, but also the speech and funding that support them.

Apology and funding in the crosshairs of the law

This is the provision that has been most commented on by the legal experts consulted. By including apology and funding in the scope of enforcement, the Senegalese legislature is explicitly targeting all forms of promotion, financial support or public justification of unnatural acts, whether in writing, in images, in speech or on social media. Human rights associations, NGOs funded by international donors, journalists and even ordinary internet users sharing activist content could theoretically fall within the scope of this provision. This extension to funding is particularly significant: it directly targets health organisations that receive foreign funding for their HIV prevention programmes among homosexual populations.

Article 139 of the CCP, automatic preventive detention in ambush

This is where the legal mechanism comes into its own. Article 139 of the Senegalese Code of Criminal Procedure provides that a committal order is mandatory when the public prosecutor makes duly reasoned requests in certain categories of cases. In other words, once an offence falls under this regime and the public prosecutor’s office decides to prosecute, the investigating judge is required to place the accused in pre-trial detention even before a judgement is handed down.

If the revised Article 319 is adopted as it stands and if the offences of promoting and financing unnatural acts fall within the scope of Article 139 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the practical result would be as follows: anyone arrested for promoting, even through a simple post on social media, or for financing activities in support of LGBT people could find themselves automatically placed in preventive detention on the simple instruction of the public prosecutor’s office. It is this link between the two texts that is of primary concern to defenders of civil liberties.

A context of renewed tensions

This reform comes at a time of heightened social tension. Since early February 2026, a case of deliberate HIV transmission in Keur Massar has led to the arrest of dozens of people, including some public figures, on charges including unnatural acts. The case, which has received widespread media coverage, has reignited the national debate on homosexuality and appears to have accelerated the government’s decision to strengthen existing legislation.

This reform echoes previous parliamentary attempts, notably the bill proposed by the And Samm Jikko Yi collective, which was rejected in 2022 due to a lack of consensus. The bill called for prison sentences ranging from five to ten years and already criminalised advocacy. The current government appears to be reviving the essence of this repressive framework, this time through a government bill, giving it greater institutional legitimacy.

Concerns about freedom of expression and press freedom

International human rights and press freedom organisations are alarmed by the potential side effects of this bill. The criminalisation of advocacy and funding, which is inherently difficult to define legally, could backfire on journalists covering these issues, researchers publishing papers, doctors raising awareness about sexual health, and even NGOs fighting HIV whose work involves addressing risky behaviour among homosexual populations and whose budgets come in part from foreign donors. Senegal was removed from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Ofpra) list of safe countries of origin in 2021, precisely because of the risks associated with sexual orientation.

The bill must now follow the ordinary legislative procedure before being enacted. Its final adoption is likely to spark intense debate in the National Assembly, as well as potential appeals to the Constitutional Council or international bodies. In the meantime, Article 139 of the Code of Criminal Procedure remains in the background, like a silent warning to all those who wish to speak out publicly or provide financial support for these issues.

Sénégal – Le gouvernement durcit l’arsenal répressif contre les « actes contre nature » : L’apologie désormais passible de prison

Adopté en Conseil des ministres, le projet de loi modifie l’article 319 du Code pénal sénégalais : définition élargie, peines alourdies et, fait inédit, criminalisation de l’apologie et du financement de ces actes. Croisé avec l’article 139 du Code de procédure pénale, ce texte ouvre ainsi la voie à des détentions préventives systématiques pour quiconque exprime publiquement un soutien ou finance des activités en faveur des personnes LGBT.

Le gouvernement du Sénégal veut franchir un pas significatif dans le renforcement de sa législation contre l’homosexualité. Lors du Conseil des ministres de ce mercredi, un projet de loi modifiant l’article 319 de la loi n°65-60 du 21 juillet 1965 portant Code pénal a été examiné et adopté. Ce texte, qui doit encore être soumis à l’Assemblée nationale pour promulgation définitive, comporte trois volets distincts : la précision de la définition légale des actes contre nature, le durcissement des peines encourues, et élément le plus novateur l’intégration dans les sanctions de l’apologie et du financement de ces actes.

Jusqu’à présent, l’article 319 alinéa 3 du Code pénal, dans sa version issue de la loi 66-16 du 12 février 1966, prévoyait un emprisonnement d’un à cinq ans et une amende de 100 000 à 1 500 000 francs CFA pour tout acte impudique ou contre nature commis avec une personne du même sexe. Le texte était volontairement général, certains juristes le qualifiant de « fourre-tout », et ne visait que l’auteur de l’acte. La nouvelle réforme entend clarifier ce que recouvre juridiquement la notion d’acte contre nature, alourdir les peines applicables, et surtout franchir un seuil inédit : sanctionner non plus seulement les actes, mais les discours et les financements qui les soutiendraient.

L’apologie et le financement dans le viseur de la loi

C’est la disposition la plus commentée par les juristes consultés. En intégrant l’apologie et le financement dans le champ répressif, le législateur sénégalais vise explicitement toute forme de promotion, de soutien financier ou de justification publique des actes contre nature, que ce soit par l’écrit, l’image, la parole ou les réseaux sociaux. Des associations de défense des droits, des ONG financées par des bailleurs internationaux, des journalistes et même de simples internautes partageant un contenu militant pourraient théoriquement entrer dans le champ d’application de cette disposition. Cette extension aux financements est particulièrement significative : elle cible directement les organisations de santé qui reçoivent des fonds étrangers pour leurs programmes de lutte contre le VIH au sein des populations homosexuelles.

Article 139 du CPP, la détention préventive automatique en embuscade

C’est ici que la mécanique juridique prend toute sa dimension. L’article 139 du Code de procédure pénale sénégalais prévoit que le mandat de dépôt est obligatoire lorsque le procureur de la République prend des réquisitions dûment motivées dans certaines catégories d’affaires. En d’autres termes, dès lors qu’une infraction visée entre dans ce régime et que le parquet décide de poursuivre, le juge d’instruction est tenu de placer l’inculpé en détention provisoire avant même qu’un jugement ne soit rendu.

Si l’article 319 révisé est adopté en l’état et si les délits d’apologie et de financement des actes contre nature intègrent le champ d’application de l’article 139 du CPP, le résultat pratique serait le suivant : toute personne interpellée pour avoir fait la promotion, même par un simple post sur les réseaux sociaux, ou pour avoir financé des activités en faveur des personnes LGBT pourrait se retrouver placée en détention préventive automatique sur simple instruction du parquet. C’est cette articulation entre les deux textes qui préoccupe au premier chef les défenseurs des libertés.

Un contexte de tensions ravivées

Cette réforme intervient dans un contexte de vive tension sociale. Depuis début février 2026, une affaire de transmission volontaire du VIH à Keur Massar a conduit à l’arrestation de plusieurs dizaines de personnes, dont certaines personnalités publiques, sous des chefs d’inculpation incluant les actes contre nature. L’affaire, fortement médiatisée, a relancé le débat national sur l’homosexualité et semble avoir accéléré la décision gouvernementale de renforcer la législation existante.

Cette réforme fait écho à des tentatives parlementaires antérieures, notamment la proposition de loi du collectif And Samm Jikko Yi, rejetée en 2022 faute de consensus, qui demandait des peines allant de cinq à dix ans d’emprisonnement ferme et qui criminalisent déjà l’apologie. Le gouvernement actuel semble reprendre l’essentiel de cette architecture répressive, en la portant cette fois par la voie d’un projet de loi gouvernemental, lui conférant une légitimité institutionnelle plus solide.

Des inquiétudes sur la liberté d’expression et la liberté de la presse

Des organisations internationales de défense des droits humains et de la presse s’alarment des effets de bord potentiels de ce texte. La criminalisation de l’apologie et du financement, par nature difficile à délimiter juridiquement, pourrait se retourner contre des journalistes traitant de ces sujets, des chercheurs publiant des travaux, des médecins sensibilisant à la santé sexuelle, ou encore des ONG de lutte contre le VIH dont le travail implique d’aborder les comportements à risque au sein des populations homosexuelles et dont les budgets proviennent en partie de bailleurs étrangers. Le Sénégal avait d’ailleurs été retiré en 2021 de la liste des pays d’origine sûrs par l’Ofpra français, précisément en raison des risques liés à l’orientation sexuelle.

Le projet de loi doit à présent suivre la procédure législative ordinaire avant d’être promulgué. Son adoption définitive soulèvera vraisemblablement des débats intenses à l’Assemblée nationale, ainsi que de potentiels recours devant le Conseil constitutionnel ou des instances internationales. En attendant, l’article 139 du Code de procédure pénale reste en toile de fond, comme un avertissement silencieux adressé à tous ceux qui souhaiteraient s’exprimer publiquement ou apporter leur soutien financier à ces questions.

New Zealand: Government backs U=U, opening door to reform of HIV non-disclosure laws

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa welcomes the Government’s decision on U=U

Associate Health Minister Doocey’s decision to sign the U=U declaration today is a critical step on the road towards zero locally acquired HIV transmissions in Aotearoa New Zealand.

U = U stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U). It means that a person living with HIV who is on effective treatment and maintains an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to sexual partner(s).

“The U=U message helps increase testing, treatment adherence, and viral suppression rates, but most importantly, it increases the confidence and dignity of people living with HIV. It’s proof that science and compassion walk hand in hand,” says Liz Gibbs, CEO of Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.

This decision makes New Zealand the 5th country to sign the multinational U=U Call to Action, behind Australia, Canada, the USA, and Vietnam.

“Currently people living with HIV may face prosecution under the Crimes Act for HIV non-disclosure to their sexual partners (unless they are using a condom), even if they are on treatment with an undetectable viral load and therefore pose zero risk of transmission. With the Government’s official endorsement of U=U, it gives the Police, Courts and government departments the backing required to modernise outdated guidelines and policies, so they are in-keeping with the latest science.” says Gibbs.

This is a significant step forward that many across the HIV and sexual health community have been advocating for several years, and we are thrilled to see it finally come to pass.

 

Senegal: Following recent arrests, the National AIDS council calls for an approach based on science and human rights

The CNLS warns against judicial and social excesses

The executive secretariat of the National Council for the fight against AIDS (CnLS) published yesterday a technical note warning of the health, legal and social consequences of recent arrests for “unnatural acts” and transmission of HIV.

The executive secretariat of the National Council for the Fight against AIDS (CNLS) published yesterday a technical note warning of the health, legal and social consequences of recent arrests for “unnatural acts” and transmission of HIV. The institution fears a decline in screening, a break in treatments and a rise in stigma, calling on the authorities to favour an approach based on science, public health and respect for human rights.

“Health, legal and social impact of the arrest of people for unnatural acts and voluntary transmission of HIV”. This is the title of the technical note published yesterday by the National Council for the Fight against AIDS (CNLS), which proposes an in-depth analysis of the potentially disastrous consequences of mismanagement of news related to HIV transmission.

According to the CNLS, the country has a concentrated HIV epidemic, characterized by a low prevalence in the general population (0.3%) and a high prevalence within some key groups: 27% in men having sex with men, 6.4% in women sex workers, 5.2% in drug users and 2% in detainees. Faced with this situation, they maintain that the national response is based on equitable access to screening, prevention means and universal antiretroviral treatment.

According to them, these approaches have reduced new infections, improved the quality of life of people living with HIV and limited transmission in the general population. However, the CNLS believes that the high media coverage of the arrests of twelve (12) people has aroused a strong reaction from public opinion and rekindled tensions around sexuality, HIV and human rights, raising major health, legal and social issues.

Blow for early screening and continuity of care

First, in terms of health, the CNLS fears that legal proceedings or the disclosure of serological status will dissuade some people, especially from the most vulnerable groups, from voluntarily using screening. “This reluctance limits the early detection of people living with HIV and their rapid access to treatment, which is essential to interrupt transmission. Nearly 90% of people with HIV are tested to date and under treatment and 92% of them no longer transmit the disease,” reads the technical note published by the CNLS.

Worse, it says, the continuity of care is also threatened. Indeed, it is noted, for fear of stigma or public exposure, some people living with HIV can discontinue their antiretroviral treatment. “These ruptures increase the risk of medical complications, resistance to treatments and transmission of the virus, with a direct impact on national health indicators,” says the CNLS. It is also established that when the possession of condoms, the use of screening or adherence to treatment are perceived as burdens in legal proceedings, it constitutes a major risk to public health.

The CNLS thus draws attention to the fact that this situation discourages prevention behaviour and promotes silent circulation of the virus, increasing the number of people unaware of their serological status and the risks of transmission among the general population.

“Unauthorised disclosure of serological status is penalised by the HIV law of 2010…” 

With regard to the legal issues of arrests for unnatural acts and transmission of HIV, the CNLS recalls at first glance that the voluntary transmission of HIV is a crime under the law. However, he says, its legal qualification, as provided for by the 2010 HIV Act, presupposes the meeting of several constituent elements: proven harm, a direct causal link and a deliberate intention to harm. In practice, he says, the establishment of these elements remains complex. The demonstration of intentionality is particularly difficult and cannot be based on serological status alone. It requires proof that the person knew his status, that he voluntarily exposed others to risk without prior information and that he had the obvious will to transmit the virus,” informs the CNLS, which adds that proof of the causal link and the anteriority of the infection requires specialized medical and biological expertise, rarely available in the context of ordinary judicial proceedings, thus exposing to a risk of judicial errors.

The CNLS also reports that scientific data establish that a person living with HIV on effective antiretroviral treatment, with an undetectable viral load, does not transmit the virus. And that ignorance of these evidences can lead to misinterpretations of the facts. As a result, he argues that excessive or imprecise criminalisation of HIV transmission can produce counterproductive effects by discouraging voluntary screening, as ignorance of status is sometimes perceived as legal protection. The CNLS argues that respect for the presumption of innocence, privacy and confidentiality of medical data remains a fundamental requirement. “The unauthorised disclosure of serological status is penalised by the 2010 HIV law and can engage the responsibility of the State, with regard to Senegal’s international commitments,” he said.

Plea for a circular for judicial actors integrating current scientific data on HIV
Still in the technical note of the CNLS, it is established that on the social level, the arrests and communication that accompany them may increase the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV. “The amalgam between sexual orientations and serological status reinforces prejudices and further marginalizes already vulnerable groups,” the document points out.

Moreover, the CNLS fears that the people concerned will be subject to social and family exclusion, and will be victims of attacks on their dignity as well as verbal, psychological or even physical violence, weakening social cohesion. Another concern for the CNLS is that community organisations and civil society actors, essential to prevention and awareness, can reduce their activities for fear of stigmatisation or reprisals, leading to a decrease in social mobilisation and a weakening of prevention mechanisms. Faced with this situation, the CNLS believes that a balanced approach, based on public health, respect for human rights and the rule of law, is essential. They also ask the Prime Minister to instruct the Keeper of the Seals to disseminate a circular to judicial actors integrating current scientific data on HIV.

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Le CNLS met en garde contre des dérives judiciaires et sociales

Le secrétariat exécutif du Conseil national de lutte contre le sida (CnLS) a publié hier une note technique alertant sur les conséquences sanitaires, juridiques et sociales des récentes arrestations pour “actes contre nature” et transmission du VIH.

Le secrétariat exécutif du Conseil national de lutte contre le sida (CNLS) a publié hier une note technique alertant sur les conséquences sanitaires, juridiques et sociales des récentes arrestations pour “actes contre nature” et transmission du VIH. L’institution redoute un recul du dépistage, une rupture des traitements et une montée de la stigmatisation, appelant les autorités à privilégier une approche fondée sur la science, la santé publique et le respect des droits humains.

«Impact sanitaire, juridique et social de l’arrestation de personnes pour actes contre nature et transmission volontaire du VIH». Tel est l’intitulé de la note technique publiée hier par le Conseil national de lutte contre le sida (CNLS), qui propose une analyse approfondie des conséquences potentiellement désastreuses d’une mauvaise gestion de l’actualité liée à la transmission du VIH.

Selon le CNLS, le pays présente une épidémie de VIH de type concentrée, caractérisée par une faible prévalence dans la population générale (0,3 %) et une prévalence élevée au sein de certains groupes clés : 27% chez les hommes ayant des relations sexuelles avec des hommes, 6,4% chez les femmes travailleuses du sexe, 5,2% chez les consommateurs de drogues et 2%chez les personnes détenues. Face à cette situation, il soutient que la riposte nationale repose sur l’accès équitable au dépistage, aux moyens de prévention et au traitement antirétroviral universel.

A l’en croire, ces approches ont permis de réduire les nouvelles infections, d’améliorer la qualité de vie des personnes vivant avec le VIH et de limiter la transmission dans la population générale. Cependant, le CNLS estime que la forte médiatisation des arrestations de douze (12) personnes a suscité une vive réaction de l’opinion publique et ravivé les tensions autour de la sexualité, du VIH et des droits humains, soulevant des enjeux sanitaires, juridiques et sociaux majeurs.

Coup porté au dépistage précoce et à la continuité des soins 

D’abord, sur le plan sanitaire, le CNLS craint que les poursuites judiciaires ou la divulgation du statut sérologique dissuade certaines personnes, notamment issues des groupes les plus vulnérables, de recourir volontairement au dépistage. “Cette réticence limite le dépistage précoce des personnes vivant avec le VIH et leur accès rapide au traitement, pourtant essentiel pour interrompre la transmission. Près de 90% des personnes atteintes de VIH sont dépistées à ce jour et sous traitement et 92% d’entre elles ne transmettent plus la maladie”, lit-on dans la note technique publiée par le CNLS.

Pis, dit-il, la continuité des soins est également menacée. En effet, note-t-on, par peur de stigmatisation ou d’exposition publique, certaines personnes vivant avec le VIH peuvent interrompre leur traitement antirétroviral. “Ces ruptures augmententles risques de complications médicales, de résistance aux traitements et de transmission du virus, avec un impact direct sur les indicateurs nationaux de santé”, confie le CNLS. Il est également établi que lorsque la possession de préservatifs, le recours au dépistage ou l’adhésion au traitement sont perçus comme des éléments à charge dans des procédures judiciaires, cela constitue un risque majeur pour la santé publique.

Le CNLS attire ainsi l’attention sur le fait que cette situation décourage les comportements de prévention et favorise une circulation silencieuse du virus, augmentant le nombre de personnes ignorant leur statut sérologique et les risques de transmission au sein de la population générale.

«La divulgation non autorisée du statut sérologique est pénalisée par la loi VIH de 2010…» 

En ce qui concerne les enjeux juridiques des arrestations pour actes contre nature et transmission du VIH, le CNLS rappelle de prime abord que la transmission volontaire du VIH constitue un délit au regard de la loi. Toutefois, fait-il savoir, sa qualification juridique, telle que prévue par la loi VIH de 2010, suppose la réunion de plusieurs éléments constitutifs : un préjudice avéré, un lien de causalité direct et une intention délibérée de nuire. Dans la pratique, précise-t-il, l’établissement de ces éléments demeure complexe.“La démonstration de l’intentionnalité est particulièrement difficile et ne saurait reposer sur le seul statut sérologique. Elle nécessite la preuve que la personne connaissait son statut, qu’elle a volontairement exposé autrui au risque sans information préalable et qu’elle avaitla volonté manifeste de transmettre le virus”, renseigne le CNLS qui ajoute que la preuve du lien de causalité et de l’antériorité de l’infection requiert des expertises médicales et biologiques spécialisées, rarement disponibles dans le cadre des procédures judiciaires ordinaires, exposant ainsi à un risque d’erreurs judiciaires.

Le CNLS informe également que les données scientifiques établissent qu’une personne vivant avec le VIH sous traitement antirétroviral efficace, avec une charge virale indétectable, ne transmet pas le virus. Et que la méconnaissance de ces évidences peut conduire à des interprétations erronées des faits. De ce fait, il soutient qu’une criminalisation excessive ou imprécise de la transmission du VIH peut produire des effets contreproductifs en décourageant le dépistage volontaire, l’ignorance du statut étant parfois perçue comme une protection juridique. Le CNLS soutient dans la foulée que le respect de la présomption d’innocence, de la vie privée et de la confidentialité des données médicales demeure une exigence fondamentale. “La divulgation non autorisée du statut sérologique est pénalisée par la loi VIH de 2010 et peut engager la responsabilité de l’État, au regard des engagements internationaux du Sénégal”, a-t-il fait entendre.

Plaidoyer pour une circulaire à l’attention des acteurs judiciaires intégrant les données scientifiques actuelles sur le VIH

Toujours dans la note technique du CNLS, il est établi que sur le plan social, les arrestations et la communication qui les accompagnent, risquent d’accentuer la stigmatisation et la discrimination à l’encontre des personnes vivant avec le VIH. “L’amalgame entre orientations sexuelles et statut sérologique renforce les préjugés et marginalise davantage des groupes déjà vulnérables”, souligne le document.

D’ailleurs, le CNLS craint que les personnes concernées fassent l’objet d’exclusions sociales et familiales, et soient victimes d’atteintes à leur dignité ainsi qu’à des violences verbales, psychologiques, voire physiques, fragilisant la cohésion sociale. Autre préoccupation pour le CNLS, les organisations communautaires et les acteurs de la société civile, essentiels à la prévention et à la sensibilisation, peuvent réduire leurs activités par crainte de stigmatisation ou de représailles, entraînant une baisse de la mobilisation sociale et un affaiblissement des mécanismes de prévention. Face à cette situation, le CNLS pense qu’une approche équilibrée, fondée sur la santé publique, le respect des droits humains et l’État de droit, est indispensable. Il sollicite d’ailleurs le Premier Ministre afin qu’il instruise le Garde des Sceaux de diffuser une circulaire à l’attention des acteurs judiciaires intégrant les données scientifiques actuelles sur le VIH.

US: Ryan White’s mother calls for HIV law reform in Indiana

Decades after Ryan White, Indiana still criminalizes HIV

Nearly 40 years ago, my son Ryan White became the face of HIV stigma in America. Diagnosed with AIDS at 13 after contracting HIV from a blood product used to treat his hemophilia, Ryan faced profound discrimination. He was banned from school, shunned by his community and even threatened because of widespread fear and misinformation about HIV. Despite this, Ryan used his short life to fight stigma and discrimination.

Today, that fight continues as Indiana confronts the urgent need to reform its HIV criminal laws and remove stigma from our statutes.

It’s heartbreaking to realize that even decades after Ryan’s death, stigmatizing HIV laws remain on the books. Indiana’s HIV criminal laws were enacted in the 1980s, when fear overshadowed science. At the time, people believed HIV could be spread through casual contact — beliefs we now know are false. Yet those assumptions continue to shape the law today.

Indiana’s laws punish people living with HIV for actions that do not transmit the virus, including attempting to donate blood, having sex while using proven prevention methods or even spitting. Saliva does not transmit HIV, and the blood supply is safe due to robust screening. These laws defy modern science and undermine public health by reinforcing stigma.

Stigma remains one of the greatest barriers to ending the HIV epidemic. It discourages people from getting tested, seeking treatment, and disclosing their status ― all critical steps to preventing transmission. When stigma drives people away from care, the virus continues to spread.

The good news is that we now have the tools to end HIV. Advances in treatment allow people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives. With proper care, the virus becomes undetectable — and undetectable means untransmittable (U=U). Medications like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) can prevent HIV transmission altogether. Yet outdated HIV criminal laws ignore these advances and fuel the very stigma Ryan worked so hard to fight.

That’s why I’m calling on Indiana lawmakers to modernize the state’s HIV criminal laws and align them with current science. Reform is a necessary step toward reducing stigma, improving public health, and honoring the dignity of people living with HIV.

I can’t help but think about how these laws would have impacted Ryan if he were alive today. Knowing my son — who dedicated his life to education and understanding — could have been criminalized under Indiana law is deeply painful. We owe it to Ryan and to the thousands of Hoosiers living with HIV, to do better.

On Feb. 28, HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day, I urge all Hoosiers to contact their elected officials and demand meaningful reform of Indiana’s HIV criminal laws. Together, we can honor Ryan’s legacy by replacing fear with facts, stigma with science and misinformation with compassion. It’s time to end HIV stigma in Indiana once and for all.

Jeanne White-Ginder is an AIDS activist and mother of the Ryan White.

US: New Williams Institute analysis shows HIV criminalization disproportionately targets Black communities

Black Americans are disproportionately criminalized for living with HIV.

Through “heightened surveillance, arrest, and conviction,” Black Americans are more likely to be criminalized for their HIV.

Black people in the U.S. aren’t just more likely to have HIV — they’re more likely to be criminalized for it.

Black Americans accounted for about 38 percent of new HIV diagnoses and 39 percent of people living with HIV in 2023, according to a report from the Williams Institute, despite making up around 12 percent of the population.

Black women had the highest HIV diagnosis rate at 19.6 per 100,000, which is about 11 times the rate for white women at 1.8 per 100,000. Black boys and men ages 13 to 24 accounted for 47 percent of all new diagnoses among youth, while white boys and men made up just three percent.

Even with higher rates of infection, Black Americans are less likely to be on medications that treat HIV, with just 64 percent receiving care and 53 percent virally suppressed. They are also less likely to have health insurance, as 12.3 percent of Black adults ages 19 to 64 did not have health insurance in 2024, compared to 6.8 percent of white adults.

Black Americans are more likely to be criminalized for their HIV as well, as they are often subjected to “heightened surveillance, arrest, and conviction within the criminal legal system,” according to the report. In 64 percent of states analyzed, they faced higher rates of arrest than their share of people living with HIV. For example, Black people in California were 6 percent of the state population and 18 percent of people living with HIV, but 39 percent of HIV-related arrests.

They’re also more likely to face harsh post-conviction penalties like sex offender registration. In Tennessee, Black people were 17 percent of the state’s population and 55 percent of people living with HIV, but 74 percent of people on the sex offender registry with an HIV-related conviction.

“Most HIV criminal laws were enacted before effective HIV treatment and prevention tools became widely available,” said Nathan Cisneros, director of the HIV Criminalization Project at the Williams Institute. “In recent years, there has been a push to reform or repeal these laws as policymakers and the public increasingly recognize that these laws can discourage testing, increase stigma, and deepen disparities — especially for Black Americans.”

Mexico: Colima Congress calls on federal lawmakers to repeal “danger of contagion” crime

Congress urges to eliminate the crime of “danger of contagion” from the Federal Criminal Code

Translated with AI. Scroll down for original article in Spanish

The State Congress approved by a majority a point of agreement to urge the Federal Chamber of Deputies to repeal the crime of “danger of contagion” of the Federal Criminal Code, considering it a discriminatory, stigmatizing legal figure and contrary to the human right to health.

The proposal was presented in the forum by Deputy Alfredo Álvarez, who argued that this type of crime, originally incorporated in 1949 and expanded in 1991, criminalizes the health condition of people, particularly those living with HIV, without the need to prove real damage or the effective transmission of a disease.

During his speech, the legislator pointed out that this figure violates fundamental principles such as equality before the law, proportionality and non-discrimination, in addition to promoting social stigma and generating barriers to access to health services.

The approved exhortation is based on the position of various national and international organizations, including UNAIDS, which has warned that the criminalization of HIV does not prevent contagion and, on the contrary, discourages diagnosis and timely treatment; as well as the Ministry of Health, which has pointed out that this crime revictimizes people living with HIV.

Pronouncements of Conapred, the National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH) and COPRED are also cited, which agree that the crime of danger of contagion has a stigmatizing character and must be eliminated to guarantee a public health policy based on human rights and scientific evidence.

Álvarez Ramírez recalled that entities such as Mexico City, Colima, Nayarit, San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes and Baja California have already repealed or do not contemplate that crime in their criminal codes. He also stressed that on February 18, 2025, the Justice Committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved an opinion to eliminate this figure from the federal level.

With this agreement, the Colimense Congress specifically urges to reform articles 60 and 315, as well as to repeal Article 199 Bis of the Federal Criminal Code, moving towards a legal framework that protects health without criminalizing or stigmatizing.

“Legislating from the human rights implies abandoning punishment as a health policy and building laws based on scientific evidence and human dignity,” said Deputy Alfredo Álvarez at the end of his speech.

Exhorta Congreso a eliminar delito de “peligro de contagio” del Código Penal Federal

El Congreso del Estado aprobó por mayoría un punto de acuerdo para exhortar a la Cámara de Diputados federal a derogar el delito de “peligro de contagio” del Código Penal Federal, al considerarlo una figura jurídica discriminatoria, estigmatizante y contraria al derecho humano a la salud.

La propuesta fue presentada en tribuna por el diputado Alfredo Álvarez, quien argumentó que ese tipo de delito, incorporado originalmente en 1949 y ampliado en 1991, criminaliza la condición de salud de las personas, particularmente de quienes viven con VIH, sin que sea necesario demostrar un daño real o la transmisión efectiva de una enfermedad.

Durante su intervención, el legislador señaló que esa figura vulnera principios fundamentales como la igualdad ante la ley, la proporcionalidad y la no discriminación, además de fomentar el estigma social y generar barreras para el acceso a servicios de salud.

El exhorto aprobado se sustenta en la postura de diversos organismos nacionales e internacionales, entre ellos ONUSida, que ha advertido que la criminalización del VIH no previene contagios y, por el contrario, desincentiva el diagnóstico y el tratamiento oportuno; así como la Secretaría de Salud, que ha señalado que ese delito revictimiza a las personas que viven con VIH.

También se citan pronunciamientos de la Conapred, la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH) y COPRED, los cuales coinciden en que el delito de peligro de contagio tiene un carácter estigmatizante y debe ser eliminado para garantizar una política de salud pública basada en derechos humanos y evidencia científica.

Álvarez Ramírez recordó que entidades como Ciudad de México, Colima, Nayarit, San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes y Baja California ya han derogado o no contemplan ese delito en sus códigos penales. Asimismo, destacó que el 18 de febrero de 2025, la Comisión de Justicia de la Cámara de Diputados aprobó un dictamen para eliminar esta figura del ámbito federal.

Con ese acuerdo, el Congreso colimense exhorta específicamente a reformar los artículos 60 y 315, así como a derogar el Artículo 199 Bis del Código Penal Federal, avanzando hacia un marco jurídico que proteja la salud sin criminalizar ni estigmatizar.

“Legislar desde los derechos humanos implica abandonar el castigo como política de salud y construir leyes basadas en evidencia científica y dignidad humana”, expresó el diputado Alfredo Álvarez al cierre de su intervención.

2025 in review: more reported cases, uneven reform

In 2025, HIV criminalisation remained a persistent, global human rights and public health failure – visible both in the rise in reported prosecutions and in the continued mismatch between HIV science and legal practice. Despite significant law reform momentum in several jurisdictions, we found evidence of unjust arrests, charges, and convictions reported in 27 countries. However, while the number of reported HIV criminalisation cases increased in 2025, this rise was driven largely by intensified enforcement and reporting in a limited number of countries, rather than a widening of criminalisation across new jurisdictions.

Rising case numbers concentrated in fewer countries

Our Global HIV Criminalisation Database included 112 reported cases between January 1st and December 31st, 2025. This represents the highest annual total recorded in the database in recent years – almost double the number documented in 2024, and more than twice the annual totals seen between 2021 and 2023.

A defining feature of 2025 was how strongly case reports clustered in specific countries. However, unless cases are systematically reported either in official, public-facing court databases, relying on media and/or civil society reported cases means we are only seeing the most visible portion of a much larger reality.

Nevertheless, one country – Uzbekistan – accounted for more than half of all reported cases. This is partly because Uzbek courts publish all HIV criminalisation cases online, but mainly due to an exceptionally broad and punitive legal framework combined with extensive mandatory HIV testing. Article 113 of the Criminal Code criminalises mere awareness of HIV status, with no distinction between exposure and transmission and no defences for condoms, viral suppression, or informed consent, creating a very low threshold for prosecution. Mandatory testing laws targeting key populations and returning migrants further increase detection without any link to alleged criminal conduct, resulting in more people being identified and prosecuted than anywhere else.

Alongside this, Russia and the United States continue to feature prominently in HIV criminalisation case reports, with the United Kingdom, France, South Korea and Canada represented by at least two reported cases in 2025.

Same harms, familiar forms

Across the 2025 cases list, several recurring patterns stood out:

  • Non-disclosure and “exposure” prosecutions remained the default legal response, with multiple non-disclosure prosecutions in the United States proceeding without allegations of transmission, and exposure-only cases continuing in Russia despite no demonstrated risk of harm.
  • Criminal cases disproportionately arose from contact between law enforcement and marginalised people – including gay men, sex workers, trans people, and people already in detention – illustrating how HIV criminalisation disproportionately arises in contexts shaped by stigma, surveillance, and law enforcement contact with marginalised communities.
  • Criminalisation extended beyond sexual contexts, with no-risk conduct framed as intentional harm, including spitting prosecutions in Canada and the United States, and prosecutions linked to needle or blood incidents in the United Kingdom and Brazil.
  • Cross-border consequences persisted even after legal “wins”, illustrated by Ireland’s deportation of a man whose conviction had been overturned by the Supreme Court, and by the persistent risk of immigration and residency consequences in Canada and the United States, where HIV-related prosecutions can have lasting effects beyond the criminal process itself.
  • Legacy criminalisation continued to create procedural chaos, as seen in Zimbabwe where prosecutions and litigation persisted despite the HIV criminalisation law having previously been repealed, and in countries such as Russia where outdated HIV-specific provisions continue to be applied alongside general criminal law, producing inconsistent charging practices.

Legal reform: progress alongside persistent risk

Despite a challenging political environment, 2025 saw several concrete legal and policy developments that signalled continued momentum toward reform, particularly at the sub-national level.

In the United States, state-level action remained the primary driver of change. In Maryland, the governor signed legislation repealing the state’s HIV-specific criminal statute, removing a law long criticised for its incompatibility with current scientific evidence. North Dakota also enacted legislation addressing outdated HIV criminalisation provisions, narrowing their scope and reducing the reach of HIV-specific penalties.

In Mexico, reform efforts continued across multiple jurisdictions. Baja California eliminated “danger of contagion” language from its criminal code, and advocacy to repeal or amend similar provisions continued in other states, alongside renewed engagement at the federal level.

In Ukraine, parliament approved the first reading of legislation to remove HIV criminalisation from the Criminal Code. While the law reform process has stalled in the context of ongoing conflict, the move towards repeal represents a significant legislative step and an important signal of political commitment under difficult circumstances.

Alongside these gains, 2025 also highlighted the fragility of reform and the persistence of resistance in several settings.

In Canada, frustration grew over the continued absence of comprehensive federal reform of HIV non-disclosure criminalisation. Despite longstanding commitments and extensive advocacy, progress remained stalled, reinforcing concerns about the ongoing misuse of the criminal law.

In Australia, debate intensified in South Australia and New South Wales around the use of mandatory or forced HIV testing powers. Public health experts and community advocates raised concerns about the scientific basis, proportionality, and potential harms of these approaches.

And the United States faced a renewed and deeply troubling risk of regression under the shadow of the Trump administration’s domestic and global anti-rights agenda. Proposals to expand sexually transmitted infection criminalisation – including legislative initiatives in Louisiana – signalled how rapidly decades of hard-won progress can be dismantled when punishment, surveillance, and moral regulation are reasserted as policy priorities. In this climate, HIV criminalisation once again becomes a ready tool of control, underscoring how fragile reform remains and how urgently sustained resistance is required.

Looking ahead to 2026

Legal reform is both possible and underway, yet unjust prosecutions persist – and in some settings appear to be accelerating – even as HIV science has never been clearer about the effectiveness of treatment and the realities of transmission risk. The 112 reported cases are not merely a statistic; they reflect the continued, routine embedding of stigma within criminal legal systems, where outdated assumptions are enforced despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

In 2026, the HIV Justice Network will prioritise consolidating reform gains while confronting jurisdictions where criminalisation remains entrenched or is intensifying. This will include targeted advocacy and capacity-building in high-volume prosecution settings; strengthened documentation and analysis of enforcement patterns to support evidence-based reform; and deeper engagement with prosecutors, judges, and policymakers to bring law and practice into line with contemporary HIV science.

Central to this work will be two UNAIDS-supported initiatives: the completion and dissemination of Good Practices in HIV Decriminalisation, providing practical, jurisdiction-tested guidance for lawmakers and advocates; and the expansion of the Expert Consensus Statement on the Science of HIV in the Context of Criminal Law to explicitly address breastfeeding, ensuring that evolving evidence is accurately reflected in legal and policy frameworks.

Together, these efforts aim to prevent new prosecutions, reduce harm, and accelerate a coordinated, science-based push to end HIV criminalisation worldwide.

Mexico: Advocates demand end to HIV criminalisation in Tabasco and Tamaulipas

Activists in two southern Mexican states are calling for the decriminalisation of HIV, warning that outdated laws continue to fuel stigma, discrimination and human rights violations against people living with the virus.

In Tabasco, José Cruz Guzmán Matías, president of the civil association Tabasqueños Unidos por la Diversidad y la Salud Sexual (TUDYSSEX), has urged the local Congress to prioritise legislative reforms in 2026. Among the key demands are the adoption of an Identity Law to legally recognise sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and the repeal of the offence known as “danger of contagion”. This provision criminalises people who are aware they have a serious infectious disease and are deemed to have exposed others to risk, and has long been used to prosecute people living with HIV. Activists argue that the law institutionalises serophobia by legitimising stigma, discrimination and fear, while violating fundamental rights. Guzmán Matías also called for stalled proposals banning so-called “conversion therapies” to be advanced, stressing the need for inclusion and respect for diversity.

Similar demands are being voiced in Tamaulipas, where activists have raised the alarm over a rise in HIV cases in the southern part of the state during 2025. Ana Karen López Quintana, president of Tamaulipas Diversity Vihda Trans, emphasised that the response to HIV must go beyond medical care and address social and human dimensions. Working alongside public institutions and civil society organisations, activists are pushing for the repeal of Article 203 of the state Criminal Code, which also criminalises the “danger of contagion”, as well as reforms to the Civil Code to ensure that people living with HIV can fully exercise their right to form a family.

Across both states, advocates stress that HIV is a preventable and treatable condition, and that criminalisation undermines public health by reinforcing fear and discouraging testing and care. They are calling for a shift toward a more humane model of health and justice—one grounded in human rights, accurate information and the elimination of stigma.

DRC: New study offers in-depth analysis of the legal framework governing HIV criminalisation in the DRC

Criminalization of HIV transmission in the Democratic Republic of Congo: lack of evidence, repressive abuses and human rights issues – Critical analysis and prospects for reform in light of the S.M. case

A new research paper from Jean Bedel Kaniki Tata, a judge in the Democratic Republic of Congo, offers a critical and in-depth analysis of the legal framework governing the criminalisation of HIV transmission in the DRC, using the well known S. M. case as a starting point for broader reflection.

This emblematic case highlights the excesses of a justice system that is still too often influenced by fear, prejudice, and stigmatization of people living with HIV, to the detriment of the required standards of scientific evidence. Through a rigorous examination of this decision, the article reveals the systemic flaws and repressive excesses that still characterize the Congolese justice system, where HIV-positive status is often wrongly equated with automatic proof of guilt, particularly when invoked in proceedings related to sexual violence.

Far from limiting itself to denunciation, this study takes a resolutely constructive perspective by calling for a thorough reform of the legal treatment of cases of alleged HIV transmission. It highlights the urgent need to develop clear guidelines for use by magistrates, to strengthen the training of justice professionals on the biomedical realities of HIV, and to promote a coherent approach that reconciles the fight against sexual violence, respect for human rights, and public health requirements.

This article was originally published French. A machine translated version in English is available here

USA: New Williams Institute report analyses three decades of HIV criminalisation prosecutions in Michigan

Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Michigan

Using data obtained from the Criminal History Record database maintained by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, this study examines the enforcement of HIV nondisclosure laws from 1991 to 2024.

Executive Summary

Michigan’s HIV criminal laws date back to the 1980s, and it is the state with the first known conviction under an HIV criminalization law. The Williams Institute analyzed data from 1991 to 2024 from the state of Michigan regarding individuals with criminal cases alleging HIV nondisclosure under Michigan Compiled Laws § 333.5210 in the state’s penal code. Records were obtained from the state’s Criminal History Record database maintained by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center. These records contained information on 90 cases that resulted in misdemeanor or felony convictions or were pending outcomes for a felony charge at the time of the data request and contained at least one HIV-related nondisclosure charge.

General Findings

  • Between 1991 and 2024, there were at least 90 cases involving 79 people and 116 HIV-related criminal charges involving HIV nondisclosure in Michigan.
    • In all, 74 cases resulted in conviction on an HIV-related offense. These cases involved 68 people and 109 separate HIV-related charges.
    • Nine people are awaiting a decision for a current HIV-related felony charge.
  • While enforcement of the HIV nondisclosure law occurred across Michigan, prosecutions were primarily concentrated in four counties.
    • Cases were concentrated in four counties in the Southeast Lower Peninsula region around the Metro Detroit area. Wayne County—home to Detroit—accounted for 16% of all HIV-related criminal cases, followed by Macomb County (7%), Washtenaw County (7%), and Oakland County (4%). Together they comprised one-third (34%) of all HIV-related cases in the state, but two-thirds (67%) of people living with HIV (PLWH) in the state.
      • While Wayne County was home to 42% of the state’s PLWH, it recorded only 16% of the state’s HIV nondisclosure cases.
  • Men were overwhelmingly represented among individuals in the HIV-related cases analyzed, accounting for 85% of people with HIV-related cases in Michigan. Men were about 77% of PLWH in Michigan.
  • When looking across race categories, Black (46%) and white (53%) Michiganders made up roughly equal shares of people criminalized.
    • However, Black people in Michigan accounted for 14% of the state’s population and 53% of PLWH in the state. White Michiganders, by contrast, made up 78% of the population and 34% of PLWH in the state.
    • As a result, Black people in Michigan are overrepresented when compared to their share of the state’s overall population, while white people in Michigan are overrepresented compared to their share of the state’s population of PLWH.
      • Black men made up only 7% of Michigan’s population, yet 40% of PLWH, and they account for 43% of individuals convicted or with pending HIV-related cases.
      • White men comprised 41% and white women 13% of those convicted or with pending cases, despite representing only 29% and 4% of PLWH, respectively.
      • Although Black women make up 8% of Michigan’s population and 13% of PLWH, they account for only 1% of convictions or pending cases.

2019 Legislative Reform

  • In 2019, Michigan reformed its HIV-related nondisclosure law. Before the reform, nondisclosure of HIV status before any form of “sexual penetration,” including oral sex, was criminalized. The reform narrowed the scope of criminalized behaviors to anal and vaginal intercourse. It required either 1) intent to transmit HIV to an intimate partner, 2) actual HIV transmission, or 3) reckless disregard for transmission risk to sustain a conviction.
    • Prosecutions continued post-reform: since enactment of the 2019 legal change, there have been at least 11 HIV-related nondisclosure cases involving 30 individual HIV-related nondisclosure charges.
      • However, there appears to be a recent decline in enforcement. There were nine HIV-related cases between 2020 and 2024 (the five years after the law was reformed) compared to 23 HIV-related cases between 2014 and 2018 (the five years before the law was reformed).
    • Ten charges under the reformed law have resulted in a conviction. All but two were for reckless disregard (a misdemeanor offense); one was for felony intent to transmit, and one appeared to be under the pre-reform statute, although the final court disposition came after the law went into effect.
      • There have been no convictions of actual transmission of HIV (a felony) under the new law.
    • Another 10 charges are awaiting a final disposition under the new law: nine for alleged intent to transmit and one for alleged misdemeanor reckless disregard.

Other Findings

  • Between 1991 and 2024, the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, which maintains the state’s Criminal History Record database, did not identify any records in response to our data request documenting convictions under Michigan’s law that criminalizes PLWH for donating blood.
  • Further, between 1991 and 2024, the data provided by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center included no mandatory testing charges that resulted in a conviction for that charge, and no convictions stemming from a mandatory testing charge have occurred since 2008.

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