An encouraging start to 2024

This year has begun with some really encouraging news: years of HIV criminalisation advocacy are really paying off.

First, we heard that the Congress of Mexico City completely repealed the crime of “danger of contagion” from the Penal Code. The repeal was approved with an overwhelming majority of 42 votes in favour and only two against. As per the decision, Articles 76 and 130 have been modified to eliminate the criminalisation of people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. This is a direct result of community activism led by the Mexican Network Against HIV Criminalisation. Congresswoman Ana Francis López noted that, with the adoption of this decision, Congress is fulfilling the demands of communities living with HIV that asked not to be discriminated against or punished.  Mexico City joins the states of Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Nayarit, San Luis Potosí and Tabasco, where their Penal Codes do not provide for a specific crime for exposure to HIV or STIs.

Then we heard that progress is being made towards HIV decriminalisation in Tajikistan. The recent Plenum of the Supreme Court marked the first step in this important process. One of the most significant changes was the recognition of the fact of placing people at risk of HIV was an unproven basis for criminal prosecution. With almost 200 known HIV criminalisation cases, this process now needs to speed up. Marginalised groups bear the brunt of the implementation of the HIV criminalisation law in Tajikistan; starting in 2014, authorities have regularly targeted sex workers and LGBT people, often under the guise of disease prevention. We remain hopeful that further progress will be made in the near future to ensure that people living with HIV are not unjustly criminalised in Tajikistan.

We also heard welcome news that another country with far too many unjust prosecutions, Singapore, is also moving towards law reform. The Singapore Ministry of Health is currently conducting a review of the law concerning HIV disclosure. This review will hopefully result in changes to current draconian practices and policies that has seen the law used to convict people – usually gay men – where condoms had been used and where the person living with HIV had an undetectable viral load.

And finally, with the support of our HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE Francophone Network, led by the HIV Legal Network, civil society groups are urging authorities in Burkina Faso to reconsider the HIV criminalisation provisions contained within its HIV law, Law 030. The call for action reflects a broader effort to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso and across the continent.

These are but a few examples of the hard work and dedication of so many of us. The global movement to end HIV criminalisation is making significant progress. Let’s keep up the momentum.

Together, we can make HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE a reality.

Guinea: New HIV law updates law adopted by the National Assembly in 2009

National Transition Council adopts law on HIV/AIDS prevention, care and control

Translated via Deep.com. Scroll down for original article in French.

The National Transition Council (CNT) held its first plenary session of 2024 on Friday 12 January at the Palais du Peuple in Conakry. On the agenda was the examination and adoption of the bill on HIV prevention, care and protection for people living with HIV in the Republic of Guinea.

According to the report presented by the Health, Education, Social Affairs and Culture Committee and introduced by Sékou Doré, since 2005, the Republic of Guinea has been committed to developing a specific legal protection framework for people living with HIV, through Law L/2005/025/AN of 22 November 2005, on the prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS in Guinea, adopted by the National Assembly and then amended by Order N/2009/056/PRG/SGG of 29 December 2009.

Despite this significant progress, he recalled, many shortcomings have been noted in the application of the law and order, including

-Law L/2005/025/AN of 22 November 2005 on the prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS in Guinea is out of step with certain national laws (civil code, criminal code) and international human rights instruments ratified by Guinea;

-The failure to take account of gender (women and girls); the failure to take account of programmes for vulnerable groups; the restriction on HIV/AIDS education by specifically prohibiting any form of HIV/AIDS education for children under the age of 13; the compulsory HIV test prior to marriage, which is contraindicated in the fight against HIV; the ethical obligation to disclose a patient’s serological status to his or her sexual partners; the discriminatory provision prohibiting the abandonment of a spouse declared to be HIV-positive”, it explained.

According to the CNT, to remedy these legal shortcomings and fill the gaps in the old law, the government has initiated this bill to bring it into line with international conventions and treaties on the one hand, and to take account of the realities of our society and scientific advances in treatment on the other, in order to eliminate all forms of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

“Promote prevention and effective care, as well as research into HIV/AIDS strategies and programmes;

-Ensure that the rights of people living with and affected by HIV are protected and respected;

-Provide information, education, communication and training on HIV/AIDS;

Strengthen support and education for people living with HIV, those affected and other vulnerable groups;

-Reaffirm the fundamental rights and freedoms of people living with HIV;

-Reinforce measures to punish those guilty of deliberate transmission of HIV”.

According to the rapporteur, Sékou Doré, the criminal provisions relating to the punishment of discriminatory acts have been reworded as follows:

“Any person guilty of discriminatory acts against a person presumed or proven to be HIV-positive will be punished by a fine of between 5,000,000 and 15,000,000 Guinean francs and/or imprisonment for between 3 and 6 years.

Where the discriminatory act is committed by a person working in the field of health or combating HIV/AIDS, the penalties provided for in the previous paragraph will be doubled. Article 51 on the punishment of those responsible for the deliberate transmission of HIV has been reclassified as a felony instead of a misdemeanour and is punishable by a fine of between 20,000,000 and 30,000,000 Guinean francs. Any HIV-infected person who knows his or her serological status and who, through the use of force or coercion, has unprotected sexual intercourse with a person, whether vulnerable or not, with the proven aim of infecting that person, is liable to a fine of between 30,000,000 and 50,000,000 Guinean francs and a prison sentence of between 15 and 20 years (…)”.

Le CNT adopte la loi portant sur la prévention, la prise en charge et le contrôle du VIH/Sida

Le Conseil National de la Transition (CNT) a tenu sa première plénière de l’année 2024, ce vendredi 12 janvier au palais du peuple de Conakry. L’ordre du jour a porté sur l’examen et l’adoption du projet de loi portant prévention du VIH, prise en charge et protection des personnes vivant avec le VIH, en République de Guinée.

Selon le rapport présenté fait par la Commission Santé, Education, Affaires sociales et Culturelles et présenté par Sékou Doré, depuis 2005, la République de Guinée s’est engagée à élaborer un cadre spécifique de protection juridique des personnes vivant avec le VIH, à travers la loi «L/2005/025/AN du 22 novembre 2005, relative à la prévention, la prise en charge et le contrôle du VIH/Sida en Guinée, adoptée par l’Assemblée nationale, puis amendée par ordonnance N/2009/056/PRG/SGG du 29 décembre 2009.

Malgré cette avancée significative, a-t-il rappelé, force est de reconnaitre que de nombreuses insuffisances ont été constatées dans l’application de la loi et de l’ordonnance qui sont entre autres:

-Le déphasage de la loi L/2005/025/AN du 22 novembre 2005, relative à la prévention, la prise en charge et le contrôle du VIH/Sida en Guinée, avec certains textes nationaux (code civil, code pénal) et les instruments juridiques internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’homme que la Guinée a ratifiés;

–La non prise en compte du genre (les femmes et les filles); la non prise en compte des programmes en faveur des groupes vulnérables; la restriction à l’éducation sur le VIH/Sida en interdisant spécifiquement toute forme d’éducation sur le VIH/Sida aux enfants de moins de 13 ans; le test de VIH obligatoire avant le mariage contre-indiqué dans la lutte contre le VIH; l’obligation déontologique de dévoiler l’état sérologique d’un patient à ses partenaires sexuels ; la disposition discriminatoire concernant l’interdiction d’abandon de son (sa) conjoint (e) déclaré(e) séropositif (ve) », a-t-il expliqué.

D’après le CNT, pour pallier ces insuffisances juridiques et combler les lacunes de l’ancienne loi, le gouvernement a initié ce présent projet de loi pour l’adapter aux Conventions et Traités internationaux d’une part, et en tenant compte des réalités de notre société et des avancées scientifiques dans la prise en charge d’autre part, afin d’éliminer toute forme de stigmatisation et de discrimination contre les personnes vivant avec le VIH.

« -Promouvoir la prévention et la prise en charge efficace, ainsi que la recherche des stratégies et des programmes su rle VIH/Sida;

-Veiller à la protection et au respect des droits des personnes vivant avec et affectées par le VIH;

-Assurer l’information, l’éducation, la communication et la formation, en matière de VIH/Sida;

Renforcer l’encadrement et l’éducation des personnes vivant avec le VIH, des personnes affectées ainsi que d’autres groupes vulnérables;

-Réaffirmer les droits et libertés fondamentaux des personnes vivant avec le VIH;

-Renforcer les mesures de répression des personnes coupables de transmission volontaire du VIH ».

Selon le rapporteur Sékou Doré, des dispositions pénales relatives à la sanction des actes discriminatoires ont été reformulées comme suit :

«Toute personne coupable d’actes discriminatoires envers une personne présumée ou avérée séropositive sera punie d’une amende de 5.000.000 à 15.000.000 de francs guinéens et d’un emprisonnement de 3 à 6ans et ou de l’une de ces deux peines seulement.

Lorsque l’acte discriminatoire est le fait d’une personne intervenant dans le domaine de la santé ou de la lutte contre le VIH/Sida, les peines prévues à l’alinéa précédent seront portées au double. L’article 51 relatif à la sanction des auteurs de la transmission volontaire du VIH a été requalifié de crime au lieu de délit et est puni d’une amende de 20.000.000 à 30.000.000 de francs guinéens. Toute personne infectée par le VIH, qui connait son statut sérologique et qui par l’usage de la force ou de la contrainte entretient des rapports sexuels non protégés avec une personne vulnérable ou non, dans le but avéré de la contaminer, encourt une amende de 30.000.000 à 50.000.000 de francs guinéens et une peine d’emprisonnement de 15 à 20 ans (…)« .

Tajikistan: First step towards decriminalisation of HIV taken at Supreme Court Plenary

The first step towards the decriminalization of HIV/AIDS in Tajikistan was taken on December 26, 2023 at the last meeting of the Plenum of the Supreme Court.

At this meeting, decisions of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan were adopted in order to ensure uniform practice and correct application of laws and other regulatory legal acts. An important decision taken at this meeting was the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan “On judicial practice in criminal cases of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus.” Thanks to the successful and trusting cooperation between the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan and public organizations, this resolution was adopted and is a key and first step in the decriminalization of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Tajikistan. This resolution examined and clarified  issues related to criminal liability for infection with the  human immunodeficiency virus. Now judicial practice will be based on new  norms that take into account international standards and recommendations.

One of the most significant changes was the recognition of the fact of putting people at risk of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus as an unproven basis for criminal prosecution. This is an important step towards eliminating the stigma and discrimination that often accompanies HIV/AIDS. Now people living with HIV can feel more protected and not fear criminal prosecution just because of their disease.

On the other hand, the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court also clarifies that if infection occurred as a result of a conscious and deliberate action that created a real threat to the health of other people, the perpetrators can be held accountable. This is necessary to protect the public and prevent the spread of infection.

However, it is important to note that the adoption of this resolution is not only about changing the criminal law, but also about creating a favorable environment for cooperation between the Supreme Court and public organizations. Thanks to this cooperation, it was possible to reach a consensus and adopt a resolution that reflects the interests of all stakeholders and takes into account the opinion of experts.

Thus, this resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan can be considered a key and first step in the decriminalization of HIV/AIDS in our country. This is an important achievement that contributes to justice, the protection of human rights and the establishment of the rule of law.

We hope that this first step will be built upon and lead to further legal reforms aimed at protecting the rights and interests of people living with HIV/AIDS and combating discrimination based on their health status. Together we can create a fairer and more inclusive society for all its citizens.

Mexico: Only 4 States have repealed their HIV criminalisation articles, it is time for the others to follow suit

In 29 states, the “danger of contagion” category still criminalises people with HIV

Translated via Deep.com. Scroll down for original article in Spanish

Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosi and now Mexico City have repealed Article 159 that could lead to imprisonment for people living with HIV. ERRATUM: Nayarit also repealed its danger of contagion law in 2023. 

With 42 votes in favour, 2 against and 0 abstentions, the Congress of Mexico City endorsed the repeal of the criminal offence of HIV risk supported in Article 159, however, in 29 states of the Republic this figure is still in force.

According to the report “La legislación mexicana en materia dd VIH”, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí and now recently Mexico City are the only states in the Republic that do not use the figure “danger of contagion” to criminalise people with HIV.

According to data from the Mexican Network of Organisations against the Criminalisation of HIV, the criminalisation of this health condition is a phenomenon that is used to enact laws that punish the conduct of people suspected of transmitting HIV and whose application is specifically aimed at this population.

The wave of criminalisation under the category of “danger by contagion” was extended to people who had covid-19 during the pandemic, raising a red flag for human rights organisations.

Alaín Pinzón, director of the organisation VIH Libre, said that the category of danger by contagion is part of the stigma of the laws, which he stresses need to be harmonised.

“To think that HIV-positive people go through life being contagious is part of the stigma and prejudice that needs to be eradicated. HIV is transmitted, not spread,’ he said.

An example of the permanence of this article is reflected in states such as Oaxaca or Guerrero, where a person can spend up to 10 years in prison if it is confirmed that the disease he or she has is incurable.

In states such as Guanajuato, in order to get married, a person will be required to undergo nuptial examinations; if either of the persons involved is living with a chronic or incurable condition such as HIV, they will not be allowed to marry.

Even in states such as Veracruz, living with HIV can prevent the gaining of guardianship of a minor.

In the case of Mexico City, the elimination of article 169 of the penal code took a long years-long struggle, being promoted from the plenary by Temistocles Villanueva of Morena.

Only two states have a specific HIV law

Gonzalo Aburto, one of the pioneer activists in the fight against HIV and member of the Mexican HIV Network, mentions that only two states in the Mexican Republic have specific legislation for people with HIV, Mexico City and Veracruz, which hinders true access to justice.

“The use of punitive laws increases discrimination and stigma towards HIV status and places those living with the virus in a predisposed criminal status,” he said.

According to the Mexican HIV Network, so far there is no Federal Law on HIV. Only the federal instrument regulating the different aspects related to the care, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS operates: the Mexican Official Standard NOM-010-SSA2-2010.
However, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has issued four general recommendations on the matter and 27 on particular cases where the human rights of people living with HIV have been violated.

According to the network’s report, the violations can range from denial of health services for living with the virus to imprisonment under the crime of “danger of contagion”.

Women, children and indigenous communities are among the most vulnerable groups, according to the Mexican Network.

“Many of the laws to care for people with HIV need to be changed, many of them have not been updated for decades, without being updated on human rights issues,” said Gonzalo Aburto.

Some other acts of discrimination for living with HIV and studied by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) are: the liquidation of health workers for living with the virus, the dismissal of military personnel from the system for living with this health condition and medical negligence.

“Unfortunately in Mexico discriminatory practices and attitudes are still very common. Therefore, we must emphasise that HIV is not only a serious public health problem but also a conflict that cuts across social and human rights,” said the Mexican Network.

En 29 estados, la categoría “peligro de contagio” aún criminaliza a personas con VIH

Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí y ahora la CDMX han derogado en artículo 159 que podía llevar a la cárcel a las personas con VIH

Con 42 votos a favor, 2 en contra y 0 abstenciones, el Congreso de la Ciudad de México avaló la derogación del tipo penal por riesgo de contagio por VIH respaldado en el artículo 159, sin embargo, en 29 estados de la República está figura sigue siendo vigente.

Según el informe “La legislación mexicana en materia dd VIH”, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí y ahora recientemente la Ciudad de México; son los únicos estados de la República que no utilizan la figura “peligro de contagio” para criminalizar a las personas con VIH.

Datos de la Red Mexicana de Organizaciones contra la Criminalización del VIH, la criminalización de esta condición de salud es un fenómeno que se usa para promulgar leyes que castigan la conducta de las personas que se sospecha pueden transmitir el VIH y cuya aplicación se dirige específicamente a esta población.

La ola de criminalización por la categoría “peligro por contagio”, se traspaso a las personas que tenían covid-19 durante la pandemia, lo que ocasionó una alerta a las organizaciones de derechos humanos.

Alaín Pinzón, director de la organización VIH libre compartió que la categoría de peligro por contagio es parte del estigma de las leyes, que recalca, necesitan armonizarse.

“Pensar que las personas seropositivas vamos por la vida contagiando es partendel estigma y el perjuicio que se debe erradicar. El VIH se transmite, no se contagia’ puntualizó.

Un ejemplo de la permanencia de este artículo se refleja en estados como Oaxaca o Guerrero, donde una persona puede pasar hasta 10 años en la cárcel si se confirma que el mal que posee en incurable.

En estados como Guanajuato, para poder contraer matrimonio, se necesitara llevar exámenes nupciales; sí alguna de las personas involucradas vive con algún padecimiento crónico o incurable como el VIH, no se les permitirá contraer nupcias.

Incluso en estados como Veracruz, el vivir con VIH puede impedir la ganancia de la tutela de un menor de edad.

Para el caso de la Ciudad de México, el eliminar el artículo 169 del código penal llevó una lucha de muchos años, siendo impulsada desde el pleno por Temístocles Villanueva, de Morena.

Solo dos estados cuentan con ley específica en materia de VIH

Gonzalo Aburto, uno de los activistas pioneros en la lucha contra el VIH y miembro de la Red Mexicana de VIH, menciona que sólo dos estados de la República mexicana cuentan con legislación específica para personas con VIH, Ciudad de México y Veracruz, lo que dificulta el verdadero acceso a la justicia.

“El uso de leyes punitivistas aumentan la discriminación y el estigma hacia el estado del VIH y sitúa a quienes viven con el virus en un estatus predisposición delincuencial” mencionó.

Según la Red Mexicana de VIH, hasta el momento no existe una Ley Federal en materia de VIH. Únicamente opera el instrumento federal regulador de los diferentes aspectos vinculados con la atención, diagnóstico, prevención y tratamiento del VIH y el sida: la Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-010-SSA2-2010.
Sin embargo, la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDH) ha emitido cuatro recomendaciones generales en la materia y 27 sobre casos particulares donde fueron vulnerados los derechos humanos de personas que viven con VIH.

Según el informe elaborado desde la red, las vulneración pueden ir desde la negación de los servicios de salud por vivir con el virus hasta ir a la cárcel bajo el delito “peligro de contagio”.

Las mujeres, los infantes y las comunidades indígenas forman parte de lo grupos más vulnerables según datos de la Red Mexicana.

“Muchas de las leyes para atender a las personas con VIH necesitan cambiarse, muchas de ellas no se han actualizado desde hace décadas, sin estar actualizados en temas de derechos humanos” dijo Gonzalo Aburto.

Algunos otros actos de discriminación por vivir con VIH y estudiandos por la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) se encuentran: la liquidación de trabajadores de salud por vivir con el virus, la baja de militares del sistema por vivir con esta condición de salud y negligencia medica.

“Desafortunadamente en México las prácticas y las actitudes discriminatorias siguen siendo muy comunes. Por ello, debemos recalcar que el VIH no solo constituye un serio problema de salud pública sino, además, es un conflicto que atraviesa lo social y los derechos humanos” mencionó la Red Mexicana.

Mexico: Mexico City Congress repeals the crime of “danger of contagion” from the Penal Code

Decriminalising the crime of danger of contagion in the CDMX; they seek to eliminate the criminalisation of people living with HIV

Translated via Deepl.com. For original article in Spanish, please scroll down.

Congresswoman Ana Francis López stressed that, with the approval of this ruling, they are fulfilling the needs of HIV-positive communities who were asking not to be discriminated against or punished.

The plenary of the Congress of Mexico City decriminalised the crime of danger of contagion. With 42 votes in favour and two against, the Congress approved the repeal of the crime of danger of contagion provided for in Article 159 of the Penal Code for the Federal District, and the modification of Articles 76 and 130, with the aim of eliminating the criminalisation of people with sexually transmitted diseases.

This crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but once it is published in the Official Gazette it will no longer be punishable. Octavio Rivero, President of the Commission for the Administration and Procuration of Justice, commented that if punitive laws continue to stand in the way of prevention and treatment, “we will only drive citizens to avoid detection and care services for fear of being punished, in addition to the social discrimination that this entails”.

This opinion points out that the criminalisation of the danger of contagion is a remnant of how, from a criminal point of view, public health and sexual health used to be regulated. Furthermore, it does not necessarily imply that the victim has been infected, but rather that what is punished is the fact of living with HIV.

Similarly, it points out that, in the light of the principle of subsidiarity, the State must resort in the first instance to other measures that are less burdensome and less harmful to the right to personal liberty in order to protect the legal right to health from possible risks.

It also refers that States use the criminalisation of transmission and exposure to infectious diseases as a response to their failure to implement effective health strategies, without considering that the use of ius puniendi against infected persons does not work to guarantee the protected legal right, since imprisonment does not prevent the transmission of contagious diseases.

In this respect, Temístocles Villanueva explained that the denomination of danger of contagion is a crime that lacks the principle of specificity and is discriminatory, as it constitutes a barrier that prevents people from knowing their status.

He stressed the importance of finding a balance between protecting public health and respecting individual rights and protecting against prejudice and discrimination.

“Living with HIV is not, and can never again be, a death sentence, that with adherence to treatment we can achieve undetectable status and that undetectable is untransmissible. We must abandon the punishment-based vision imposed by the governments of that era and move forward with a vision that guarantees rights,” he argued.

Congresswoman Ana Francis López emphasised that, with the adoption of this decision, they are fulfilling the demands of the HIV-positive communities that asked not to be discriminated against or punished.

El pleno del Congreso de la Ciudad de México, derogó del Código Penal, el delito de “peligro de contagio”

Despenalizan el delito de peligro de contagio en la CDMX; buscan eliminar la criminalización de personas con VIH
Ana Francis López destacó que, con la aprobación de este dictamen, le están cumpliendo a las comunidades con VIH que pedían no ser discriminadas ni castigadas
El pleno del Congreso de la Ciudad de México despenalizó el delito de peligro de contagio, con 42 votos a favor y dos en contra se aprobó derogar el delito de peligro de contagio previsto en el artículo 159 del Código Penal para el Distrito Federal, y modificar los artículos 76 y 130, con el propósito eliminar la criminalización de las personas con enfermedades de transmisión sexual.

Este delito se castiga con hasta 10 años de cárcel, pero una vez publicado en la Gaceta Oficial ya se dejará de castigar. Al fundamentar el dictamen, el presidente de la Comisión de Administración y Procuración de Justicia, Octavio Rivero, comentó que de continuar con leyes punitivas que se interpongan en el camino de la prevención y el tratamiento, “solo conduciremos a la ciudadanía a seguir disuadiendo los servicios de detección y atención por temor a ser castigadas y castigados, además de la carga discriminatoria social que esto conlleva”.

Este dictamen señala que la tipificación del delito de peligro de contagio es un remanente de cómo, desde lo penal, se buscaba regular la salud pública y la salud sexual. Además, no implica necesariamente que la víctima haya sido contagiada, sino que lo que sanciona es el hecho de vivir con VIH.

De igual forma, señala que, a la luz del principio de subsidiariedad, el Estado debe recurrir en primera instancia a otras medidas menos gravosas y lesivas del derecho a la libertad personal para proteger el bien jurídico de la salud frente a eventuales riesgos.

Asimismo, refiere que los Estados usan la penalización de la transmisión y exposición a enfermedades infectocontagiosas como respuesta a su fallo en estrategias sanitarias eficaces, sin considerar que el uso del ius puniendi en contra de las personas infectadas no funciona para garantizar el bien jurídico tutelado, pues el encarcelamiento no previene la transmisión de las enfermedades contagiosas.

Al respecto, el diputado Temístocles Villanueva explicó que la denominación de peligro de contagio es un delito que carece del principio de taxatividad y es discriminatorio, pues constituye una barrera que impide que las personas conozcan su estatu.

Asimismo, destacó la importancia de encontrar un equilibrio entre la protección de la salud pública y el respeto a los derechos individuales y la protección ante los prejuicios y la discriminación.

“Vivir con VIH no es, ni puede volver a ser, una condena de muerte, que con adherencia a un tratamiento podemos acceder al estatus de indetectabilidad y que indetectable es intransmisible. Debemos abandonar la visión punitivista impuesta por los gobiernos de esa época y avanzar con la visión garantista de derechos”, argumentó.

La diputada Ana Francis López destacó que, con la aprobación de este dictamen, le están cumpliendo a las comunidades con VIH que pedían no ser discriminadas ni castigadas.

US: Williams Institute publishes new report on the enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Maryland

Williams Institute report: Black people account for 82 percent of HIV criminal cases in Md.

A report the Williams Institute released on Thursday notes Black people account for 82 percent of HIV-related criminal cases in Maryland.

The report notes Black people account for 30 percent of Maryland’s population, and 71 percent of people living with HIV in the state. The Williams Institute report also indicates Black men account for 14 percent of Maryland’s population and 44 percent of people living with HIV in the state, but comprise 68 percent of people accused in HIV-related criminal cases.

The report indicates at least 104 cases and at least 148 charges of “knowingly transferring HIV to another” in Maryland from 2000-2020. Three of the 104 cases, according to the report, “alleged only attempted ‘knowing transferring HIV to another.’”

Sixty-nine percent of “enforcement of HIV criminal laws” in Maryland happened in three jurisdictions: Baltimore City (32 percent), Montgomery County (19 percent) and Prince George’s County (18 percent.)

“Maryland’s law was enacted in 1989 at the height of the AIDS crisis before we had effective treatments for HIV,” said Williams Institute Criminalization Project Director Nathan Cisneros, who is the study’s lead author. “We now have medical treatments that wholly eliminate the risk of transmitting HIV through sex, yet these advances are not reflected in Maryland law despite several reform attempts in recent years.”

Section 18-601.1 of Maryland’s Health Code states “an individual who has the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may not knowingly transfer or attempt to transfer the human immunodeficiency virus to another individual.” Anyone “who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction” could face a fine of up to $2,500 and/or up to three years in prison.

The Williams Institute based its report on data it obtained from the Maryland State Administrative Office of the Courts.

Download the full report

Burkina Faso: Civil society organisations call for a review of HIV law to reflect science

Healthcare civil society stakeholders call for revision of Law 030 (Burkina 24)

Translated via Deep.com. For original article in French, please scroll down

Civil society organisations in the health sector met in Ouagadougou on 29 December 2023 to call on the Burkina Faso authorities to revise Law 030 on the fight against HIV/AIDS and the protection of people living with HIV/AIDS. The law dates back to 2008 and, according to the statement read out by the civil society actors, is no longer in line with current developments in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Civil society organisations have issued a statement calling for a review of Law 030 on combating HIV/AIDS and protecting the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. The statement, issued by the Convergence Communautaire du Faso-COCOFA, aims to speed up the process of revising this law to provide better protection for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Otherwise, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of COCOFA, Édouard Diapa, acknowledged that a consultation with government players augurs well for the future as far as the revision of law 030 is concerned.

However, he said, it was their duty to remain vigilant until the law was effectively revised. Why do they want this law revised? “Because the context has changed. From 2008 to now, there have been many developments in relation to the undetectable viral load, which allows people living with HIV to live with their partner without transmitting HIV. This was not the case in 2008, which is why the law needs to be revised”, explained Souleymane Bansé of the Association la vie continue.

The stakeholders therefore called on the government to focus on their advocacy, so that together they can achieve the three times 95 objective, i.e. 95% of people on treatment, 95% of people who know their serostatus and 95% of people tested.

Lutte contre le VIH/SIDA : Des acteurs de la Société civile en santé demandent la révision de la loi 030 (Burkina 24)
Des acteurs de la société civile en Santé se sont réunis le 29 décembre 2023 à Ouagadougou pour demander aux autorités burkinabè la révision de la loi 030 portant lutte contre le VIH/SIDA et protection des personnes vivant avec le VIH-SIDA. Une loi datant de 2008, qui selon la déclaration lue par ces acteurs de la Société Civile en Santé, ne cadre plus avec l’évolution de la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA actuellement.

C’est une action de veille qui a conduit des organisations de la Société civile à faire une déclaration relative pour demander la révision de la loi 030 portant lutte contre le VIH-SIDA et protection des droits des personnes vivant avec le VIH-SIDA. Cette déclaration portée par la Convergence communautaire du Faso-COCOFA vise à accélérer le processus de révision de cette loi pour une meilleure protection de personnes vivant avec le VIH/SIDA.

Sinon, le Président du Conseil d’Administration du COCOFA, Édouard Diapa, a reconnu qu’une concertation avec des acteurs du gouvernement augure de lendemain meilleur en ce qui concerne la révision de la loi 030.

Cependant, a-t-il dit, il est de leur devoir de maintenir la veille jusqu’à ce que la loi soit effectivement révisée. Pourquoi vouloir la révision de cette loi? « Parce que le contexte a évolué. De 2008 à maintenant, il y a eu beaucoup dévolutions par rapport à la charge virale indétectable qui permet à la personne vivant avec le VIH de vivre avec son partenaire ou sa partenaire sans lui transmettre le VIH. Chose qui n’était pas évidente en 2008, d’où la révision de cette loi est nécessaire », a expliqué Souleymane Bansé de l’Association la vie continue.
Ces acteurs ont donc invité le gouvernement à se pencher sur leur plaidoyer afin qu’ils atteignent ensemble l’objectif des trois fois 95 à savoir, 95% de personnes mises sous traitement, 95% de personnes qui connaissent leur statut sérologique et 95% de personnes dépistées.

Singapore: Ministry of Health review of HIV disclosure law will take latest science into account

HIV disclosure law being reviewed

A law requiring those with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to inform their sexual partners of the risk of HIV transmission or face jail time is being reviewed, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

This is as studies have shown that people living with HIV who have been compliant with treatment and have maintained a stable undetectable viral load have practically no risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partners, MOH said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The review opens up the possibility that such disclosures may no longer be prescribed – a change given that penalties were enhanced in 2008.

“MOH is conducting a review of the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA) following the White Paper on Singapore’s Response to Covid-19, and will take the latest scientific evidence into account when reviewing the sections on HIV to ensure continued relevance and alignment with our public health policy goals,” said its spokesman.

Infectious diseases and HIV experts that ST spoke to were of the view that the law, which was introduced in 1992, needed updating.

A section of the IDA currently requires those living with HIV to disclose this to their sexual partners before having sex, so that their partners can make an informed decision and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.

In 2008, the maximum jail term for failing to do so was raised from two years to 10 years.

Culpability was also widened to include persons who do not know if they have HIV or Aids but who have reason to believe they have been exposed to significant risk of infection, such as if they have multiple sex partners.

The objective of the amendment was to promote condom use and regular HIV testing, while sending a strong message that no one has a right to put others at risk through irresponsible behaviour, said then Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan during the 2008 parliamentary debate on the amendment.

HIV attacks the immune system and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Aids) is the final stage of its infection. Aids is fatal if left untreated.

While there is no cure for HIV, antiretroviral therapy can improve the immune system and suppress the viral load in a patient’s body to an undetectable level.

Singapore has close to 7,000 people living with this disease out of a total of 9,331 who have been diagnosed since 1985, MOH said in an update on the HIV/Aids situation in June. The rest have died, including 107 in 2022.

There were 188 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in the first 10 months of 2023, 97 per cent of which were men. This is 10 per cent higher than the number of cases in the same period in 2022.

From 2019 to December 2023, six people were convicted for failing to disclose their HIV status to their sexual partners.

In November, a transgender sex worker living with HIV was sentenced to three years and three months’ jail after being convicted of having sex with three men without informing them about the condition. Court documents identified him as male.

A medical report in June 2018 stated that his HIV viral load was undetectable, but his viral load was found to be high in November 2018 due to his non-adherence to HIV treatment. This usually involves consuming medication regularly.

“In such a situation, there is certainly a risk of HIV transmission,” said the MOH spokesman of the case. “If he had told his partners of his HIV status, as required by law, the partners may choose not to engage in sexual activities with him or to take precautions.”

But advocacy groups and infectious diseases experts said the current law may be counterproductive to public health goals.

In a Forum letter published in ST in November, Action for Aids Singapore president Roy Chan and the president of sex worker non-governmental organisation Project X, Dr Rayner Tan, argued that sexual health should be a shared responsibility between partners, regardless of their HIV status.

This includes adopting HIV-prevention strategies, like the proper use of condoms and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a medicine that reduces one’s chances of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use.

Professor Chan and Dr Tan, who both specialise in HIV and sexually transmitted infections, also pointed to existing legislation outside the IDA that penalises deception and grievous harm to argue that a law governing HIV disclosure alone is unnecessary.

Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, is also of the view that the law should be repealed.

“It is a very extreme minority who want to deliberately infect other people with HIV, but everyone should know that they can protect themselves from HIV by using condoms or taking PrEP,” he said.

Dr Leong added that he advocates awareness, self-protection, safe sex, using oral quick tests and encouraging people to come forward and get tested.

In a February parliamentary reply, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the use of prophylaxis is a supplementary HIV-prevention option, as they are not fully effective nor do they protect against other sexually transmitted infections.

He cautioned against “sending the wrong signal that these drugs can substitute the recommended HIV-prevention methods, such as avoiding casual sex and correct use of condoms”.

Senior lecturer Ritu Jain at the Language and Communication Centre at Nanyang Technological University said she concurred with Prof Chan and Dr Tan.

A principal investigator for a National Centre for Infectious Diseases-funded study that interviewed 73 people, including 56 people living with HIV, Dr Jain told ST that the recently concluded study found that the law disincentivises testing and encourages a “don’t know, don’t tell” mindset, contrary to its aim.

Responding to ST’s queries, MOH said the current law accords choice and protection to the partner of someone with HIV, who can decide whether to engage in sexual activity, and, if so, to take precautions to reduce risk.

At the 2008 debate to amend the IDA, Mr Khaw said the Government’s intention behind enhancing the law was not to criminalise HIV-infected patients, but to push them to act more responsibly and not to hide behind the ignorance of their HIV status.

“We will only act if there is a complaint from an aggrieved victim, and only after a thorough investigation to establish the facts,” he added.

2023 in review: A delicate balance

A DELICATE BALANCE

Working to end punitive laws and policies that impact people living with HIV is never easy, but this year has been especially hard, as we fought to maintain that delicate balance between moving forward in our advocacy and preventing the erosion of our previous gains fuelled by the anti-rights movement and the growth of right-wing populism.

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we saw an increase in the number of reported HIV-related prosecutions: 86 cases in 18 countries. This compares with 49 cases in 16 countries last year and 54 cases in 20 countries in 2021. This year, as in previous years, the highest number of case reports come from the EECA region (Uzbekistan and Russia), followed by the United States (10 cases – a significant decrease) and the United Kingdom (5 cases – a worrying increase).

It is possible that we were seeing more case reports because there were actually more cases, but we must always consider these reported cases to be illustrative of what is likely to be a far more widespread, poorly documented use of criminal law against people living with HIV.

Although many people arrested or prosecuted were heterosexual men, we also saw a range of intersectional identities impacted by HIV criminalisation – particularly sex workers who may also have been transgender and/or people of colour and/or with a migration background.  It is clear that a convergence of multiple levels of criminalisation, discrimination and other vulnerabilities leads to over-policing of the bodies and behaviours of people living with HIV.

LATIN AMERICA

Some of the most exciting and promising developments in 2023 came from Latin America. In June, Belize repealed its HIV-specific criminal law, enacted in 2001 but never applied, primarily to enable the country to be certified as having eliminated vertical transmission. And in August, Costa Rica’s People Living with HIV organisation pushed back against a parliamentarian’s proposal to reinstate an HIV criminalisation law.

It’s also clear that sustained advocacy by civil society in Mexico – which began in earnest when the HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE coalition supported the creation of the Mexican network in 2017 – is really making a difference. In March, the state of Nayarit repealed its infectious disease law that had mostly applied to people with HIV. The district of Mexico City is on its way to repeal a similar law. And another Mexican state, Baja California Sur, modernised the wording of the same law to attempt to destigmatise it, by removing the concept that communicable diseases are only prosecutable if sexually transmitted.

In November, a proposal for a new HIV criminalisation law in the state of Puebla was withdrawn following criticisms from HIV and human rights organisations, and a month later there are now proposals to reform the existing law. And civil society pressure to remove the federal HIV criminalisation law on constitutional grounds may have led to Mexico’s first trans congresswomen advocating for the repeal of the law in parliament. Given Mexico’s rights-based approach to SRHR – the country decriminalised abortion earlier this year – at least one of these repeal pathways are likely to succeed next year.

NORTH AMERICA

In the United States, we continued to see a marked reduction in the number of cases as the movement to repeal or modernise HIV criminalisation laws continued to grow due to ongoing, sustained advocacy by networks of people living with HIV with support from philanthropic funders as well as federal and state political leaders and public health institutions. Although, no states fully repealed their HIV-specific laws in 2023, and law reform proposals in Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota failed to pass, there were some important victories in Tennessee. Here, both law reform and strategic litigation bore fruit, the former by removing mandatory sex offender registration for those convicted under the HIV law, and the latter resulting in a ruling that Tennessee’s ‘aggravated prostitution’ statute violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Canada – another former global HIV criminalisation leader – continued to report fewer cases, with just one new reported case in 2023. As in the United States, this is the result of many years of sustained advocacy, although the federal government has still not responded formally to its 2022 public consultation on substantially reforming its approach to HIV criminalisation. The Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization, led by HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE coalition partner, the HIV Legal Network, issued a strong statement on World AIDS Day calling for action.

AFRICA

Unlike previous years, the only country on the African continent with reported new HIV criminalisation cases in 2023 was Kenya, where lawmakers are still planning to follow Uganda in enacting even more criminalisation aimed at LGBTI people – as are Botswana, Ghana, and Niger. Following the December 2022 dismissal of the constitutional challenge to Kenya’s HIV-specific provisions in the Sexual Offences Act, there are plans to appeal and to continue to lobby for change.

Strategic litigation led by KELIN was ultimately successful in establishing that women living with HIV possess the inherent right to make informed choices regarding their reproductive decisions following a nine-year process, so sustained advocacy – and patience – may be required. Patience may also be needed in South Africa where long-awaited sex work decriminalisation was further postponed, although parliament did agree to clear COVID lockdown criminal records. Elsewhere, another positive development in the region was the repeal of Mauritius’ colonial-era sodomy law which means that the number of nations with laws against gay sex has now fallen to 66.

EASTERN EUROPE / CENTRAL ASIA

People living with HIV in the EECA region continue to face multiple challenges. In just the first six months of 2023, there were 20 cases of alleged “intentional HIV transmission” to sexual partners in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent region – the highest HIV criminalisation case count anywhere in the world. The majority of those prosecuted appeared to be women. This comes as no surprise given that an analysis of cases and laws across the ECCA region by our HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE partners, the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS (EWNA), found that women living with HIV bear the brunt of the “legalised stigma” of HIV criminalisation in the region.

One of the main reasons for the high number of cases in the EECA region is the integration of HIV criminalisation within healthcare policies: newly diagnosed individuals are made to sign a paper acknowledging their legal liability for HIV prevention often without receiving adequate or meaningful counselling or support. In Russia – where the second highest number of cases were reported – a study found that most HIV clinicians support HIV criminalisation, and in Kazakhstan it was revealed that 1-in-1000 people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2022 filed a police report blaming someone else for their infection.

The legal environment for people living with HIV in Russia continues to worsen, as it does for all its citizens, especially LGBTI people – with trans women sex worker migrants facing the brunt of the Russia’s anti-LGBT “propaganda” law. And in Tajikistan, homophobic and HIV-phobic law enforcement practices resulted in ten gay men being arrested Dushanbe on suspicion of “infecting 86 people with HIV.” The only positive news for the region came from Ukraine, where a new protective HIV law was adopted earlier this year, although criminal liability for HIV exposure or transmission remains a possibility.

WESTERN EUROPE

December saw two contrasting developments in Western Europe. Just as Ireland’s Supreme Court overturned the country’s first-ever sexual HIV criminalisation case  – partially based on now well-established limitations of scientific evidence being able to prove who infected whom – a lower court in Latvia convicted someone of alleged HIV transmission for the first time.

And although in the United Kingdom, a long-awaited update to the Crown Prosecution Service’s guidance now unequivocally states that an undetectable viral load stops HIV transmission, five HIV criminalisation cases still took place, along with a highly publicised civil case. Per capita, this meant that in 2023 the UK had a five-fold incidence of reported HIV criminalisation cases compared to the United States!

ASIA PACIFIC

Singapore continues to lead the Asia Pacific region with four reported HIV criminalisation cases in 2023: one for blood donation, two for biting, and one involving a transgender sex worker for alleged HIV exposure. Although South Korea’s constitutional court ended up declaring most of its HIV criminalisation provisions constitutional, their recognition that U=U suggests the law may evolve to recognise up-to-date science.

Although ending HIV criminalisation cannot rely on science alone, it can help limit unjust prosecutions while we work to end the HIV-related stigma, discrimination and structural inequalities that drive criminalisation.

BRINGING SCIENCE TO JUSTICE

This year, we celebrated five years since the publication of the ‘Expert Consensus Statement on the Science of HIV in the Context of Criminal Law’ with our ‘Five-Year Impact Report’ and an HIV Justice Live! webshow focused on bringing science to justice. Both proved that the Expert Consensus Statement remains relevant, accurate and extremely useful.

Given this delicate balance between moving forward and preventing the erosion of hard-won rights there is still so much more to do to reach the global target of fewer than 10% of countries with punitive laws and policies that negatively impact the HIV response.

LET COMMUNITIES LEAD

To ensure that communities continue to lead, and to further enable the building of an intersectional movement to end punitive laws and policies that impact people living with HIV in all diversity, we made our online platform for e-learning and training, the HIV Justice Academy, more widely available in Spanish and Russian, to complement our English and French versions.

In 2023, the HIV Justice Academy was visited by several thousand learners from 110 countries. We were thrilled to learn that graduates of our flagship HIV Criminalisation Online Course told us that they really benefitted from the course, finding it relevant, interesting, and engaging.

RENEWED FOCUS FOR 2024

We will begin 2024 with a renewed focus to achieving HIV justice as we continue to:

  • build the evidence base by gathering relevant data and information from around the world. 
  • raise awareness across multiple platforms and communities of the harms of HIV criminalisation. 
  • create, collate, and disseminate advocacy tools and resources to foster more effective responses to damaging laws, policies, and media narratives; and
  • bring individuals and national, regional, and global networks and organisations together, as part of the HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE coalition, to catalyse change.

Mexico’s first trans congresswomen advocates for the repeal of HIV and STI criminalisation article

María Clemente proposes decriminalising the transmission of sexual diseases

Translated with Deepl.com – For article in Spanish, please scroll down

The Morena deputy’s initiative seeks to repeal article 199 bis on the danger of contagion of sexual diseases.
María Clemente García Moreno, a member of the Morena party, has presented an initiative to decriminalise sanctions related to the transmission of sexual diseases.

The project seeks the repeal of several parts of the Federal Penal Code, specifically article 199 bis which deals with the danger of contagion.

This article, published in the Official Journal of the Federation on 14 February 1940, establishes that those who, knowing that they are sick with syphilis or another venereal disease in its contagious stage, may put the health of another at risk through sexual relations, will face penalties of up to three years in prison and fines of up to three thousand pesos.
This applies even if the contagion does not occur. Legal action can only be taken in cases of spouses with a complaint from the aggrieved spouse.

Discrimination against persons with sexual diseases
García Moreno points out that this provision criminalises people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially those living with HIV, subjecting them to criminal law simply because of the possibility of exposing others to infection. She argues that this law is discriminatory and disproportionately affects these communities.

The MP finally argues that “in each of these acts there is always a minimal possibility that a new infection will be generated, either by a failure of a condom or the efficacy of antiretroviral [sic] drugs”.

Debate between Congress and civil society
The MP argues that the key is to implement preventive and educational strategies to protect the health of all citizens. Her proposal has generated intense discussions, dividing legislators: some believe that criminal sanctions are necessary to safeguard public health and hold accountable those who endanger others.

On the other hand, there are dissenting voices, pointing out that criminalising disease transmission is not the solution and advocating greater awareness and access to health services to prevent the spread of infections.

Meanwhile, human rights organisations and activists are vigilant, calling for fairer legislation that addresses the needs of all, regardless of their health status.

María Clemente propone despenalizar transmisión de enfermedades sexuales

La iniciativa de la diputada de Morena, busca derogar el artículo 199 bis sobre peligro de contagio en enfermedades sexuales.
María Clemente García Moreno, diputada de la bancada Morena, ha presentado una iniciativa para despenalizar las sanciones relacionadas con la transmisión de enfermedades sexuales.

El proyecto busca la derogación de varias partes del Código Penal Federal, específicamente el artículo 199 bis que trata sobre el peligro de contagio.

Este artículo, publicado en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el 14 de febrero de 1940, establece que aquellos que sabiendo que están enfermos de sífilis u otra enfermedad venérea en su etapa contagiosa, puedan poner en riesgo la salud de otro mediante relaciones sexuales, enfrentarán penas de hasta tres años de cárcel y multas de hasta tres mil pesos.
Esto se aplica incluso si el contagio no se produce. Solo se puede proceder legalmente en casos de cónyuges con una denuncia del cónyuge agraviado.

Discriminación a personas con enfermedades sexuales
García Moreno señala que esta disposición penaliza a personas con infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS), especialmente a quienes viven con el VIH, sometiéndolos al derecho penal simplemente por la posibilidad de exponer a otros a una infección. Ella afirma que esta ley es discriminatoria y afecta desproporcionadamente a estas comunidades.

La diputada finalmente argumenta que “en cada uno de estos actos siempre hay una mínima posibilidad de que se genere una nueva infección, sea por una falla del condón o de la eficacia de los medicamentos antirretrovirales [sic]”.

Debate entre el Congreso y la sociedad civil
La diputada argumenta que la clave está en implementar estrategias preventivas y educativas para proteger la salud de todos los ciudadanos. Su propuesta ha generado discusiones intensas, dividiendo a los legisladores: algunos creen que las sanciones penales son necesarias para salvaguardar la salud pública y responsabilizar a quienes ponen en peligro a otros.

Por otro lado, hay voces que discrepan, señalando que penalizar la transmisión de enfermedades no es la solución y abogando por una mayor conciencia y acceso a servicios de salud para prevenir la propagación de infecciones.

Mientras tanto, organizaciones y activistas de derechos humanos están atentos, exigiendo una legislación más justa que atienda las necesidades de todos, independientemente de su estado de salud.