Nigeria: Akwa Ibom State intends to put in place HIV criminalisation law

Source: The Sun Nigeria on March 18, 2019

HIV status: Akwa Ibom plan law against spread

Akwa Ibom State government has expressed an intent to enact a law that would enable it prosecute persons found to wilfully infect or transmit HIV virus to another person.

This comes in the wake President Muhammadu Buhari unveiling the Nigeria AIDS Indicator Survey and Impact Survey (NAIIS) last week, which revealed that the state is top on the HIV prevalence scale with 5.5% against the national prevalence of 1.4% for the age group of 15 to 64 years.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong, while speaking with the press on Monday in Uyo in reaction to the NAIIS result, said other long term measures to be adopted to bring the prevalence down in the state would be to lead advocacy to the legislative arm of government to put in place laws to protect PLHIV and to curb transmission of new infections by expeditiously deliberating and passing the bill on Anti-stigma and Discrimination against PLHIV/AIDS.

“We will lead advocacy to local government councils in the state to lend regular and dedicated support for HIV intervention and other health programmes in their respective local government areas,”Ukpong said as one of the long term measures.

But for the time being, he said the state government would increase access to testing services by providing enough rapid-test kits so that all primary and secondary health facilities in the state would be able to provide free HIV testing services to the citizens.

The state government, Ukpong said, would also increase “access to treatment by creating new comprehensive treatment centres in one senatorial district to be fully supported by the state government; this will complement other comprehensive treatment centres supported by international partners.

The commissioner attributed the high prevalence of HIV in the state to many factors.

“The location of the state with a long coast line of 129 km stretching from Ikot Abasi to Oron, an airport, good road network, peaceful environment, friendly disposition of our people, good cuisines and fast-developing economy have made our state the destination of choice for both national and international visitors. All these are not without attendant public health consequences, like transmission of communicable diseases which HIV/AIDS cannot be excluded,” he said.

He also said the seemingly scaling down of HIV/AIDS campaign in the state was due to limited healthcare resources shared to other equally compelling demands like Ebola and Lassa fever, which were no issues some years ago.

“The current HIV/AIDS situation in the state calls for a more robust multi-sectoral response towards curbing the epidemic in the state. Consequently, the state government will step up collaboration through the Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS (AKSACA) and Akwa Ibom State HIV/AIDS and STI Control Programme (SASCP) with implementing partners. Faith based organisations, PLHIV/AIDS, and other stakeholders towards proffering immediate and long-term interventions for the state.

“We all know HIV is transmitted mainly by unprotected sexual contact with infected persons hence, Akwa Ibomites should imbibe the simple ABCs of HIV prevention – Abstinence, being faithful to one’s partner, correct and consistence condom use and refraining from the use of illicit drugs which could be injectable or otherwise.

“I therefore urge Akwa Ibomites to stand up and fight to stop the transmission of HIV virus; we have a part to play no matter how little,” Ukpong said.

Belarus: Experience of serodiscordant couple in Belarus demonstrates how punitive legislation can harm HIV prevention efforts

Published in echo.msk.ru on March 1, 2019 – Google translation, for from Russian article please scroll down.

A prison awaits us: what are discordant couples in Belarus afraid of?

Ilya and Eugene – a gay couple from Belarus. They have been together for several years and call themselves an “interesting couple,” because they live in a discordant relationship. Recently, during sex, they broke a condom. They decided to start post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). It would seem that everything was simple: within 72 hours after the risk of infection, you need to start taking pills. Moreover, the steps are known: go to the doctor, explain the situation, get the pills, drink a month’s course – and you can forget about the problem. But due to the peculiarities of local legislation, it is much more difficult to get help than it seems at first glance. AIDS.CENTER figured out what Belarusian discordant couples face and what are the ways out of the current situation in the republic.

“As soon as our condom broke, we consulted with friends and went to Minsk [to the infectious diseases hospital] on Kropotkin Street for a PCP,” recalls Ilya. The doctor listened to him and with a “very dissatisfied face” asked to disclose the name of the partner. Motivated by the fact that a young person must be registered, and in such cases, the medical officer “must report to the law enforcement authorities.”

The man asked if such a law had not been repealed, but they explained to him that it remains in force and that the partner would incur criminal liability. Of course, the man refused to tell him about Evgeny, but the doctor insisted: “How do I know? Maybe you are slandering someone? Suddenly you will now go to sell the medicines that I will give you? ” The pill was not given.

Indeed, in the Criminal Code of Belarus there is Art. 157 (Human immunodeficiency virus infection), according to which, if a person deliberately put another in danger of becoming infected with HIV, he can receive up to a prison term. It is noteworthy that the article provided for criminal liability, even if the injured party had no complaints against the defendant. And infectious disease doctors can initiate proceedings. Moreover, Belarus together with Russia are leaders in the criminal prosecution of people with HIV. For example, in 2017, 130 criminal cases were initiated under Art. 157 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

However, in the near future, legislation in the Republic may be relaxed, for example, on December 19, 2018, an amendment was made to decriminalize transmission of the disease. According to this, people with a diagnosis will no longer be prosecuted “for putting the threat of HIV transmission and HIV infection” on their partners if they have notified them in advance about their diagnosis. Now the bill has been submitted to the Council of the Republic and the president for approval.

“There are still a dozen of prohibitions for people with HIV-positive status in the legislation of Belarus ,” says Irina Statkevich, chairman of the local HIV-service organization “Positive Movement”. – In 2018, they made positive changes to the standard “Children living with HIV are prohibited from playing sports.” It is noteworthy that the children themselves living with HIV initiated the changes in the norm, namely, they went to the meeting at the Ministry of Health. ”

In addition, before people with HIV were forbidden to adopt children, now this article has been revised, but still there are some nuances in the application.

Who is responsible for health?

Ilya is convinced that he must bear responsibility for his own health. Once he himself worked as an HIV counselor and conducted rapid testing, so he knew that there was very little time for PEP after unprotected intercourse, only three days.

“In my opinion, the doctor was very unprofessional,” he complains. “The reason for concern was that at that time my young man and I didn’t know exactly his viral load.”

“In Belarus, as in many other countries, there is no document that would clearly define the indications for postexposure prophylaxis, and this is due to objective difficulties,” says infectious disease doctor Nikolai Golobrudko.

According to him, the PCP is provided in cases of occupational risks, for example, if a nurse injected with a syringe, which took blood from an HIV-positive patient. Or in some domestic situations (for example, the child found a syringe in the sandbox and injected with them) or at certain sexual contacts (for example, after rape).

Statkevich agrees with the lack of regulations for issuing such tablets. “Therefore, the requirement to name your partner in this regard is unlikely to exist,” she said, assuming that the doctor could ask the partner’s data for risk assessment. “The doctor could look at the viral load information in the partner’s registration card and thus understand how much the situation is really emergency.”

Ultimately, Ilya received postexposure prophylaxis, but not from doctors who were supposed to provide it, friends from Russia helped and promptly transferred it.

Soon he will go for tests, and if he is around, he wants to go to an appointment with the very same doctor: “Since it was she who jeopardized my health and my life. Requirements of this kind from a doctor, in my opinion, violate the law on medical confidentiality; disclosing a person’s HIV status can be a criminal offense. After all, there are people who will use this information far from for good purposes. ”

How to change the situation?

The case of Ilya is a good demonstration of how HIV prevention is related to legislative norms, in particular, with 157 articles, Statkevich believes. “Recently this topic has been actively discussed, there are real cases of imprisonment. And many people seek to keep secrets at all costs so as not to harm the HIV-positive partner, ”she adds.

A public organization advocates a reduction in the criminalization of HIV infection by offering several points. First, reclassify cases under article 157 from public to private accusation. Thus, they will be initiated not by representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Prosecutor’s Office, but at the initiative of a person who has suffered from a crime. In addition, the case may be closed in case of reconciliation of the parties.

Secondly, the possibility of blackmail by an HIV-negative partner should be excluded. To do this, community activists offer either to issue an “informed consent to have sex with an HIV-positive partner,” suppose a infectious diseases doctor; or, which seems more realistic, to supplement the criminalizing article with the phrase “in the event of failure to take measures to prevent infection (refusal to take antiretroviral therapy or use a condom)”.

Thirdly, to define the terms of the Criminal Code article itself more clearly, for example, what is the “knowledge” and so on. Since the vagueness of the wording allows them to be interpreted unnecessarily broadly.

“Medical prophylaxis after cases of unprotected sex is sometimes needed, but it should not become a substitute for concern about the safety of one’s sexual behavior, the use of condoms,” says Goloborudko.

The doctor adds that there is another effective way of prevention for people with increased risk of infection, for example, for men who have sex with men, and for sex workers – pre-contact prophylaxis (PrEP or PrEP).

However, there is a problem with access to these pills, and both DCT and PEP. Antiretroviral drugs in Belarus are procured centrally for the state budget, and pharmacies simply do not arrive, that is, it is impossible to buy them yourself, at least legally. This means that due to stigma, fear to open up even to doctors and unwillingness to donate partners, the number of people with HIV may increase. The principle is simple: do not drink therapy – either you are infected yourself, or you transmit the virus to another. It remains to hope that a program on pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis may appear in Belarus (at least now such conversations are under way), which could be given out not only in state hospitals, but also in public organizations.

Нас ждет тюрьма: чего боятся дискордантные пары в Беларуси

Илья и Евгений — пара геев из Беларуси. Они уже несколько лет вместе и называют себя «интересной парочкой», поскольку живут в дискордантных отношениях. Недавно во время секса у них порвался презерватив. Они приняли решение начать постконтактную профилактику (ПКП). Казалось бы, все просто: в течение 72 часов после риска инфицирования нужно начать принимать таблетки. Тем более что шаги известны: прийти к врачу, объяснить ситуацию, получить таблетки, пропить месячный курс — и о проблеме можно забыть. Но из-за особенностей местного законодательства получить помощь гораздо сложнее, чем кажется на первый взгляд. СПИД.ЦЕНТР разбирался, с чем сталкиваются белорусские дискордантные пары и какие есть выходы из сложившейся в республике ситуации.

Не сдал — не получил

«Как только у нас порвался презерватив, мы посоветовались с друзьями и поехали в Минск [в инфекционную больницу] на улицу Кропоткина за ПКП», — вспоминает Илья. Врач его выслушал и с «очень недовольным лицом» попросил раскрыть имя партнера. Мотивировав тем, что молодого человека необходимо поставить на учет и в подобных случаях медицинский работник «должен докладывать правоохранительным органам».

Мужчина уточнил, не отменен ли еще такой закон, но ему пояснили, что он действует и партнер понесет уголовную ответственность. Само собой, мужчина отказался сдавать Евгения, но врач настаивала: «Откуда мне знать? Может быть, вы клевещете на кого-нибудь? Вдруг вы сейчас пойдете продавать лекарства, которые я вам выдам?». Таблетки так и не дали.

Действительно, в Уголовном кодексе Беларуси есть ст. 157 (Заражение вирусом иммунодефицита человека), согласно которой, если человек заведомо поставил другого в опасность инфицирования ВИЧ, он может получить вплоть до тюремного срока. Примечательно, что статья предусматривала уголовную ответственность, даже если пострадавшая сторона не имела никаких претензий к ответчику. А инициировать возбуждение дела могут врачи-инфекционисты. Причем Беларусь вместе с Россией — лидеры по уголовному преследованию людей с ВИЧ. Например, в 2017 году было возбуждено 130 уголовных дел по ст. 157 УК Республики Беларусь.

Однако в ближайшее время законодательство в республике может быть смягчено, так, 19 декабря 2018 года внесена поправка о декриминализации передачи болезни. Согласно ей, люди с диагнозом больше не будут подвергаться уголовному преследованию «за постановку в угрозу передачи ВИЧ и заражение ВИЧ» своих партнеров, если они заранее уведомили их о своем диагнозе. Сейчас законопроект направлен для одобрения в Совет Республики и президенту.

«В законодательстве Беларуси все еще существует дюжина запретов для людей с ВИЧ-положительным статусом, — рассказывает председатель местной ВИЧ-сервисной организации «Позитивное движение» Ирина Статкевич. — В 2018 году внесли положительные изменения в норму «Детям, живущим с ВИЧ, запрещено заниматься спортом». Примечательно, что сами дети, живущие с ВИЧ, выступили инициаторами изменения нормы, а именно — ходили на встречу в Минздрав».

Кроме того, раньше людям с ВИЧ было запрещено усыновлять детей, сейчас эту статью пересмотрели, но все равно остались некоторые нюансы в применении.

Кто отвечает за здоровье?

Илья убежден, что ответственность за свое здоровье должен нести сам. Когда-то он сам работал консультантом по вопросам ВИЧ и проводил экспресс-тестирование, поэтому знал, что после незащищенного полового акта времени для ПКП очень мало, всего лишь трое суток.

«На мой взгляд, врач поступила очень непрофессионально, — сетует он. — Повод для беспокойства был — на тот момент мой молодой человек и я точно не знали его вирусную нагрузку».

«В Беларуси, как и во многих других странах, нет документа, который бы четко определял показания к проведению постконтактной профилактики, и это связано с объективными трудностями», — констатирует врач-инфекционист Николай Голоборудько.

По его словам, ПКП предоставляют в случаях профессиональных рисков, например, если медсестра укололась шприцем, которым забирала кровь у ВИЧ-положительного пациента. Или в некоторых бытовых ситуациях (например, ребенок нашел в песочнице шприц и укололся им) или при определенных половых контактах (например, после изнасилования).

Статкевич соглашается с отсутствием регламента выдачи таких таблеток. «Поэтому требование назвать своего партнера в данной связи вряд ли существует, — уточняет она, предполагая, что врач могла спрашивать данные партнера для оценки рисков. — Доктор мог посмотреть информацию о вирусной нагрузке в учетной карточке партнера и таким образом понять, насколько ситуация действительно экстренная».

В конечном счете постконтактную профилактику Илья все же получил, но не от врачей, которые должны ее предоставить, — помогли знакомые из России, оперативно передали ее.

Скоро он пойдет сдавать анализы, и если «плюсанет», то хочет попасть на прием к тому же самому врачу: «Так как это она поставила под угрозу мое здоровье и мою жизнь. Требования такого рода от врача, по моему мнению, нарушают закон о врачебной тайне, раскрытие ВИЧ-статуса человека может быть уголовно наказуемым. Ведь есть люди, которые данную информацию будут использовать далеко не для благих целей».

Как изменить ситуацию?

Случай Ильи — хорошая демонстрация того, как связана профилактика ВИЧ с законодательными нормами, в частности со 157 статьей, считает Статкевич. «В последнее время эта тема активно обсуждается, есть реальные случаи лишения свободы. А многие люди стремятся сохранить тайну любой ценой, чтобы не нанести вред ВИЧ-положительному партнеру», — добавляет она.

Общественная организация ратует за снижение криминализации инфицирования ВИЧ, предлагая несколько пунктов. Во-первых, переквалифицировать дела по статье 157 с публичного обвинения в частное. Таким образом, они будут возбуждаться не представителями МВД или прокуратуры, а по инициативе человека, пострадавшего от преступления. К тому же дела могут быть закрыты в случае примирения сторон.

Во-вторых, следует исключить возможность шантажа со стороны ВИЧ-отрицательного партнера. Для этого общественники предлагают либо оформлять «информированное согласие на вступление в половые контакты с ВИЧ-позитивным партнером», предположим, у врача-инфекциониста; или же, что кажется более реальным, дополнить криминализирующую статью фразой «в случае непринятия мер по профилактике заражения (отказ от приема антиретровирусной терапии либо от использования презерватива)».

В-третьих, более четко определить сами термины статьи УК, например, в чем заключается «заведомость» и так далее. Поскольку размытость формулировок позволяет трактовать их неоправданно широко.

«Медикаментозная профилактика после случаев незащищенного полового контакта иногда нужна, но она не должна становиться заменой заботы о безопасности своего полового поведения, использования презервативов», — говорит Голоборудько.

Врач добавляет, что есть другой эффективный способ профилактики для людей с повышенными рисками инфицирования, например, для мужчин, практикующих секс с мужчинами, и для секс-работниц — доконтактная профилактика (ДКП или PrEP).

Однако есть проблема с доступом к таким таблеткам, причем как ДКП, так и ПКП. Антиретровирусные препараты в Беларуси закупаются централизованно за госбюджет, а в аптеки просто не поступают, то есть купить их самостоятельно, по крайней мере легально, никак нельзя. А значит из-за стигмы, страха раскрыться даже врачам и нежелания сдавать партнеров количество людей с ВИЧ может увеличиваться. Принцип прост: не пьешь терапию — либо инфицируешься сам, либо передаешь вирус другому. Остается надеяться, что в Беларуси может появиться программа по до— и постконтактной профилактике (по крайней мере сейчас такие разговоры ведутся), которую могли бы выдавать не только в государственных больницах, но и в общественных организациях.

US: Five laws categorised as “bad” laws by the Human Rights Campaign in Missouri , including HIV/AIDS criminalisation laws

Missouri ranked in lowest category for LGBTQ protections, nondiscrimination

The Human Rights Campaign recently released their fifth annual State Equality Index — a state-by-state report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people, assessing how well states are doing to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination.

This year, Missouri received the lowest rating, “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality.” This rating is given to states that focus on raising suport for basic LGBTQ equality laws, such as non-discrimination laws, and for states focusing on municipal protections for LGBTQ people including opposing negative legislation.

Twenty-eight states earned this rating. Seventeen states earned the highest rating, “Working Toward Innovative Equality,” while the remaining five earned “Solidifying Equality” or “Building Equality.”

Karis Agnew, field director for PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, explained that they expected this rating for Missouri.

“It does not surprise me because there are basic protections that LGBTQ people lack in Missouri and those include protection of employment, housing and public accommodations,” Agnew said.

Missouri has a total of six laws that benefit LGBTQ people — hate crime laws, a college and universities non-discrimination law, a sexual orientation non-discrimination policy for state employees, an anti-bullying law specifically for cyberbullying, transgender inclusion in sports, and name and gender updates on identification documents for drivers licenses.

Missouri has five laws that the HRC categorizes as “bad” laws including HIV/AIDS criminalization laws, a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and transgender exclusions in state Medicaid coverage.

Missouri lacks all parenting laws such as parental presumption for same-sex couples, second parent adoption, and foster care non-discrimination. Missouri also lacks basic non-discrimination laws for employment, housing, public accommodation, education, adoption, foster care, insurance, credit, and jury selection.

The absence of youth laws in Missouri include anti-bullying laws, protection from conversion therapy, and laws to address LGBTQ youth homelessness. In the health and safety category, Missouri lacks laws including LGBTQ nondiscrimantion protections in Affordable Care Act exchanges, transgender healthcare coverage, and name and gender updates on identification documents for birth certificates.

Alex Padilla, co-president of Spectrum, an LGBTQ group at Missouri State Univerity, explained his fear regarding how few laws Missouri has protecting LGBTQ individuals like himself.

“Whenever I first came out, I was working at a fast food job and I was worried that I could be fired for who I was,” Padilla said.

He explained that he did a quick search online and found that there were no laws protecting him from being harassed or fired because of who he was.

Agnew, who prefers using gender-neutral pronouns, explained that although this rating is low, organizations like PROMO are working hard behind the scenes to make sure Missouri’s laws are progressing.

“When it comes to passing laws that are pro-equality, the thing that we really need the most to be able to do that is make sure that we don’t have bills that are anti-LGBTQ,” Agnew said.

Agnew explained that in 2018 five anti-LGBTQ laws were filed but PROMO worked to ensure zero made it to the governor’s desk to be signed.

“When those are filed, that is our priority, so it is really hard for us to file proactive legislation and pass proactive legislation when we have legislation that is harmful to LGBTQ people that we work so hard to prevent from passing,” Agnew said.

Agnew said a big reason why Missouri is far behind other states in passing pro-LGBTQ legislation is that Missouri legislators are not aware of what it is like to live as an LGBTQ individual.

“I think a lot of our legislators in Missouri honestly don’t know what it’s like to be LGBTQ — the majority of our legislators are not LGBTQ themselves,” Agnew said. “And because of that, I think a lot of them have a lot to learn from their constituents that are.”

Agnew said this year is the 21st year that PROMO has worked to file the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, which would add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in places of employment, housing and public accommodations.

“When their constituents aren’t bringing it up they assume it’s not important and not needed,” Agnew said. “The number one thing people can do is engage their elected officials and talk to them about why something like the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act is so important to them.”

Padilla explained how important it is for students to get involved.

“Help us lobby for equality, Padilla said. “Advocating for these things and showing that you are an ally is really helpful to all of Missouri and all of Missouri’s LGBTQ people.”

PROMO is hosting an “Equality Day,” a day of lobbying where people in the community come up to Jefferson City and talk to legislators about the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act on April 10.

Uganda: Mapping of the legal environment shows how the current criminal justice system discriminates against people living with HIV

Published in the Daily Monitor on Febraury 22, 2019

Report shows how laws discriminate against HIV positive people

KAMPALA- Various existing laws criminalise people living with HIV/ Aids, according to a new report released in Kampala on Thursday.

The report is titled: “Draft report on the assessment and mapping of the legal environment on provisions of HIV and TB services to let populations, persons living with HIV and tuberculosis”

“The existing legal framework is not favourable for some categories of the key, vulnerable and priority populations to freely access health services in Uganda. Specifically, the lifestyles sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender persons and makes them most affected by the existing legal framework in Uganda,” read part of the report

It adds: “The laws criminalise sex work, same sex relationships and drug use. This results into violence, harassment, disappointment of sex workers and their legal recourse to address injustice against them.” “The other law, the HIV and Aids prevention and Control Act although not specifically targeting key vulnerable and priority populations, has implications for both the general affected by HIV in Uganda.”

The report indicates that the HIV and Aids Prevention and Control Act 2014 provides for voluntary HIV testing in Sub Section 9. However, the voluntarism is not considered if a person commits a sexual offense as part of the criminal proceedings and yet Section 8 provides for identity of a person tested with HIV not to be disclosed or released to any person except in accordance with the law and medical standards.

The report was carried out by civil society organisation Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) in conjunction with Aids and Rights Alliance for South Africa (ARASA).

The current criminal justice system is also discriminative as it hands down more deterrent jail terms to those suspects found to be living with HIV than their counterparts that are not.

Reacting to the aforementioned finding, a law professor at Makerere University, Prof. Ben Twinomugisha, explained that sometimes it’s prudent for the prosecution to take an HIV test of a suspect accused of committing a sexual offense for purposes of securing a conviction.

However, he was also quick to say that this compulsory HIV testing will lead to violation of their human rights and that this will drive those infected away instead of going to hospital to get medication.

“But a civil society organisation and I, have since petitioned court challenging Section 43 of the HIV Prevention and Control Act about criminalization of HIV,” Prof. Twinomugisha said

“Why is it that a person suffering from Hepatitis B, which is more deadly than HIV are not subjected to a test when they commit a crime,” he wondered.

The study was carried out in three districts of Gulu, Mbarara and Tororo.

The study was mainly about the extent to which laws and policies protect and promote the rights of persons living with HIV/ Aids, let populations like sex workers, truck drivers and fishermen can access health care and services.

The HIV prevalence in Uganda stands at 6.2%. In 2016, approximately 1.4 million people were living with HIV and 28,000 Ugandans were estimated to have died of Aids-related illness.

Travel and long-stay restrictions for foreign nationals with HIV have no logical basis and have been deemed a human rights violation by the United Nations

Published in South China Morning Post on February 5, 2019

Visa restrictions for HIV-positive immigrants still in place in dozens of countries

Recent leak in Singapore of data of HIV-positive people renewed attention on its curbs on long-term stays by those who have the virus
Countries with restrictions include Russia and the United Arab Emirates; there’s no logical basis for them any more, UNAids says

A data leak of Singaporean medical records exposing the HIV-positive status of 14,200 people last month triggered concerns about a backlash for those whose health status was made public in a country that continues to stigmatise the disease.

But the case, involving the records of 8,800 foreign nationals who tested positive for HIV in Singapore, also shines a spotlight on the city state’s restrictive policies towards foreigners with HIV, who face barriers to staying in the country for more than 90 days unless married to a Singaporean national.

The records were leaked by a foreigner in just such a situation, American Mikhy Farrera Brochez, who was deported after serving jail time for drug-related crimes and fraud, including hiding his HIV status. He was able to access the records with help from his boyfriend, a Singaporean doctor.

Singapore is one of only a handful of developed nations that still have laws restricting the long-term stay of foreign nationals with HIV – laws that have been deemed a human rights violation by the United Nations.

“When this [1998] law was brought in there was a lot more fear of unknown issues around disease … but [today] the logic is just not borne out by any scientific or medical basis,” says Eamonn Murphy, UNAids regional director for Asia and the Pacific.

Instead, countries that still have such restrictions in place often do so because of “historical convention, ideology, or even passivity”, Murphy says. He notes that UNAids is renewing its focus on the issue this year, compiling a new report on national restrictions.

UNAids most recent comprehensive report on HIV-related travel and immigration laws in 2015 listed 35 countries with such restrictions.

However, incomplete data published in 2018 by UNAids named at least 18 countries that have policies restricting entry, stay or residence for people living with HIV. Information from many countries were left off the list, and will be updated this year to reflect the true extent. The same report found that 60 countries require testing for residence or other permits, including marriage, not limited to foreigners.

The exact numbers, however, are difficult to pin down, experts say. An independently researched global database counts 49 countries with HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay in 2018, based on information sourced from local embassies and reports from travellers and immigrants. Countries with restrictions include Russia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.

“The data the countries present about themselves in diplomatic settings can be different from the policies that are actually executed,” says American epidemiologist Jessica Keralis, who has researched the public health impacts of such HIV-related restrictions.

For example, countries may not have regulations “on the books”, but employers can revoke visas for HIV-positive employees, or state insurance policy can make it difficult for immigrants to afford treatment, she says.

In other cases, official policy may not be known by regional or local officials and institutions.

These distinctions matter for HIV-positive immigrants, whether white-collar workers, migrant labourers or students, according to David Haerry, who publishes the Global Database on HIV-Specific Travel and Residence Restrictions, which names the 49 countries.

“Oftentimes people [sent abroad for work] don’t know and they fall in the trap: if you don’t know and you have to be tested on the ground, and then you are sent back on health grounds, your company knows,” he says. “It’s a big issue.”

Haerry receives daily emails through the database from people around the world wondering how to travel or relocate safely while living with HIV. In recent years, he’s seen restrictive policies become more of an issue for students looking to study abroad, but who fear the consequences of mandatory HIV testing even in countries where there is no explicit restriction on those who are HIV-positive.

For such situations, “we have no solution”, Haerry says.

Many national restrictions are holdovers from the 1980s, before the disease’s transmission was understood and the antiretroviral therapies and daily medications that can prevent its spread became widely available, according to UNAids’ Murphy. But he has seen progress globally.

A number of countries changed their policies after UNAids launched a 2008 campaign against the 59 governments that had bans at that time. The United States, South Korea and China were among the nations to remove restrictions in 2010, although South Korea retained some related to immigration, while China reportedly has mandatory HIV testing for some visas.

Singapore revised its own regulations in 2015 to allow people living with HIV to enter the country for short-term stays of less than three months, while South Korea in 2017 removed its final restriction, which mandated the testing of foreign teachers.

But conservative cultures, social stigma and inertia have kept some restrictions in play in other nations, experts say. The majority of such restrictions are found in conservative countries; more countries in the Middle East than anywhere else have them.

“The basis of discrimination is misconception and fear, and with HIV these boil down to drug use, men who have sex with men, and all these realities that countries don’t want to face,” says Peter Wiessner, who co-authors the global database. “There’s also xenophobia mixed in.”

That element can have a negative public health impact, according to Keralis.

“It communicates that HIV is a foreign contagion and a foreigners’ problem, and if [citizens] don’t mix with foreigners then they are not at risk,” she says. She notes that, paired with a lack of proper sex education, this can create a dangerous situation.

“There’s no incentive for people to seek more information or modify their behaviours,” she says.

Belarus: 89 HIV criminalisation cases initiated in 2018 in the Gomel region alone

Published in TUT.BY on February 6, 2019 – Google translation from Russian. For original article in Russian, please scroll down.

There are also minors. How and who in the Gomel region are infected with HIV

In the Gomel region, the number of registered crimes under the article “Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus” remains high. Among those included in the statistics there are minors. The Investigation Committee told who, how and why infects a dangerous disease.

In 2018, 89 crimes under this article were registered in the region.

For example, a criminal case was initiated in Mazyr against a 16-year-old girl. A minor, knowing that she is a carrier of the virus, repeatedly entered into an intimate relationship with no means of protection with a 23-year-old young man. For knowingly putting him in danger of being infected with HIV by a court of the Mozyr District, the minor is sentenced to 6 months in prison with a 1-year delay in the execution of the sentence.

A criminal case was filed with the Svetlogorsk district court against a 24-year-old resident of Svetlogorsk, who was at risk of contracting HIV to his wife, and also infected a minor friend.

A 28-year-old resident of the Rogachev region infected two fellow villagers with HIV. The first victim learned about the diagnosis during the examination in the hospital. The second victim was established by investigative means. The district court sentenced a man to imprisonment for a term of 5.5 years with serving in a correctional colony with a reinforced regime.

Several criminal cases were sent to the Zhlobinsky District Court against a 26-year-old woman who, in the period from 2013 to 2018, infected four men with HIV and put four more people at risk of infection. The victims are from 25 to 65 years old.

According to the Gomel Regional Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, 7973 people with HIV-positive status live in the region. In 2018, the highest number of new cases was registered in the age group of 40 years and older (47.7%).

Есть и несовершеннолетние. Как и кого на Гомельщине заражают ВИЧ

В Гомельской области число зарегистрированных преступлений по статье «Заражение вирусом иммунодефицита человека» остается по-прежнему высоким. Среди попавших в статистику есть и несовершеннолетние. В Следственном комитете рассказали, кто, как и зачем заражает опасной болезнью.

В 2018 году в области зарегистрировано 89 преступлений по этой статье.

К примеру, в Мозыре возбуждено уголовное дело в отношении 16-летней девушки. Несовершеннолетняя, зная, что является носителем вируса, неоднократно вступала в интимную связь без средств защиты с 23-летним молодым человеком. За заведомое поставление его в опасность заражения ВИЧ судом Мозырского района несовершеннолетняя приговорена к 6 месяцам лишения свободы с отсрочкой исполнения наказания на 1 год.

В суд Светлогорского района направлено уголовное дело в отношении 24-летнего жителя Светлогорска, который подвергал опасности заражения ВИЧ жену, а также заразил несовершеннолетнюю знакомую.

28-летний житель Рогачевского района заразил ВИЧ двух односельчанок. Первая потерпевшая узнала о диагнозе при прохождении обследования в больнице. Вторая потерпевшая была установлена следственным путем. Районным судом мужчине назначено наказание в виде лишения свободы сроком на 5,5 года с отбыванием в исправительной колонии усиленного режима.

В суд Жлобинского района направлено несколько уголовных дел в отношении 26-летней женщины, которая в период с 2013 по 2018 год заразила ВИЧ четверых мужчин, еще четверых поставила в опасность заражения. Потерпевшим от 25 до 65 лет.

По информации Гомельского областного центра гигиены, эпидемиологии и общественного здоровья, в области проживает 7973 человека с ВИЧ-положительным статусом. В 2018 году наибольшее количество новых случаев заболевания зарегистрировано в возрастной группе 40 лет и старше (47,7%).

Читать полностью: https://news.tut.by/society/625331.html?crnd=18984

[Update] US: Missourians living with HIV testify in House committee hearing in support of proposals to modernise HIV criminalisation laws

Published in Houston Herald on Feb. 4, 2019

By Alexis Allison

Proposals to reduce criminal HIV exposure penalties encourage prevention

JEFFERSON CITY — LaTrischa Miles doesn’t spit when she runs.

A mother of three, the treatment adherence supervisor at Kansas City Health Center was diagnosed with HIV in 1995. She remembers the day like her birthday, and she remembers it when she’s running.

“Running is not a pretty sport. You see a lot of things when you’re running. You smell a lot of things when you’re running,” Miles said. “A lot of runners get dry mouth, and they spit, a lot. But I dare not. Because if I spit … I may get arrested at the finish line.”

Current Missouri law makes it a felony for a person knowingly infected with the human immunodeficiency virus to “recklessly” expose someone else without their knowledge or consent — whether or not the person meant to do so, and whether or not the victim contracted HIV. The law lists sex, needle-sharing and biting as methods of transfer.

It’s not clear whether spitting during a half-marathon violates the law, but that uncertainty is part of the problem. “As a person living with HIV,” Miles said, “I’ve lived in the shadow of these criminal laws.”

But for the second year in a row, Reps. Tracy McCreery, D-St. Louis, and Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, have filed separate but similar bills to modernize what some call the “criminal HIV exposure” law.

Each proposal would apply penalties currently reserved for exposing someone to HIV to other “communicable diseases,” such as hepatitis C or HPV, and minimize the punishment for those convicted. The proposals also update the law’s language to reflect current understanding about how HIV is transmitted.

Miles and a slew of public health advocates, students and Missourians living with HIV testified in a House committee hearing Monday in support of the proposals. The witnesses emphasized the need for a revised bill that would reduce stigma, encourage people to know their status and reflect modern science.

“So much has changed. HIV is no longer a death sentence. It’s a chronic disease. It’s a human disease,” Miles said. “Persons living with HIV that once took 16 pills a day … now have the option to take one pill a day.”

Lawmakers passed the original bill in the late ‘80s, an era when the rampant spread of AIDS through sex made lovers into killers, and the law ensured they would be punished accordingly. Mere exposure can lead to a class B felony conviction. If the victim contracts HIV, the charge bumps up to a class A felony, punishable by up to 30 years or life in prison. It’s the same consequence in Missouri for murder.

Both proposals would consider whether the person with a communicable disease intended to transmit it to someone else, and the consequences would be less severe. Rehder’s bill makes knowingly exposing another person to a communicable disease a class C felony; if transmission occurs, the charge becomes a class B felony.

“For comparison’s sake, if you’re driving while intoxicated and hurt someone but don’t kill them in Missouri, it’s a class C felony,” Rehder said. “If you’re driving while intoxicated and in an act of criminal negligence you cause the death of someone, then it’s a class B felony, so that makes it more consistent.”

McCreery’s bill offers a less severe punishment, diminishing the consequences for exposing another person to a communicable disease to a class B misdemeanor — or a class A misdemeanor if the victim contracts the disease.

The severity of the current law also serves as a disincentive for people to know their HIV status, Rehder said. If a person doesn’t know they have HIV, they can’t be convicted of exposing the virus to another person.

And, Rehder said, people who are unaware of their positive status are responsible for 90 percent of HIV transfer — and that ignorance is a public health issue.

“The bottom line is, we want people to get tested and know their status and get treatment,” she said.

Another strategy the proposals encourage is prevention. Under the current law, condom use — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends as a preventative strategy — is not a defense. The new proposals note that using science-based, preventive measures (including condoms) could serve as evidence that the person with the disease did not intend to expose or transmit it.

The proposals offer a few more updates based on the scientific advancements that have happened in the last 30 years. For one, they’ve removed “biting” from the list as a way to transfer HIV. In fact, transmitting HIV via biting is extremely rare — so rare that the CDC notes it’s only happened when the bite led to “severe trauma with extensive tissue damage and the presence of blood.”

McCreery’s bill removes the current law’s enhanced punishments for HIV-positive sex workers; Rehder’s does not address it. McCreery’s bill also eliminates punishments for a person with HIV or hepatitis who endangers a correctional or mental health employee.

The current law lists exposure to feces, urine or saliva as a means for transmission. Rehder’s version no longer specifically penalizes HIV or hepatitis and applies only in the case of exposure to “bodily fluids … scientifically shown to be a known means of transmission of a serious infectious or communicable disease.”

Rehder acknowledged that neither proposal is perfect, and the final product may lie somewhere between the two.

“We’re working closely together to present Missouri-specific options to update Missouri’s antiquated HIV laws,” McCreery said in an interview after the hearing. “We wanted to send a strong message to Missourians that this is a nonpartisan issue.”

Published in Fox2Now on December 1, 2018

Lawmakers, health officials push Missouri HIV law rewrite

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Some Missouri legislators and public health professionals are calling for a rewrite of the state’s HIV laws, which they say are outdated and medically inaccurate.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Republican Rep. Holly Rehder and Democratic Rep. Tracy McCreery proposed bills in the last legislative session to reduce the state’s penalties for exposing someone to HIV. They plan to present the same bills in the 2019 session.

Missouri’s roughly 30-year-old law states that an HIV-positive individual could be convicted of a felony if he or she exposes a partner to the disease without the partner’s knowledge or consent. The law gives a minimum 10-year sentence for transmitting HIV and minimum five-year sentence for knowingly exposing someone to HIV.

Advocates say such laws result in questionable prosecutions and negative public health outcomes.

St Vincent and the Grenadines: Following deportation of man jailed in Canada for alleged HIV transmission, prosecution service confirms existence of similar provision in SVG law

Persons who willfully pass on HIV infection can be charged – Prosecutor

HIV-positive persons in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) who wilfully pass on an HIV infection to another person can be charged with grievous bodily harm with intent under the laws of this country.

Crown Counsel at the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Karim Nelson made this clear to SEARCHLIGHT on Monday.

Nelson was responding to a question raised by a report that X, a 41-year-old man who was jailed in Canada after he knowingly passed on HIV to his lovers, had been deported to SVG, the land of his birth.

X arrived in SVG last Thursday February 7. He is originally from the East St George area and goes by the alias “Shorty”.

The Crown Counsel told SEARCHLIGHT there have been instances, in England particularly, where persons have been charged with grievously bodily harm with intent for doing what Ralph did.

“We have the same provision and we could apply that particular provision to deal with the situation,” the lawyer explained, while noting that this has never been done in SVG.

He explained that for a charge to be laid, a report will have to be made and the police must have evidence that the person who passed HIV to the other person actually knew that they had the health issue.

“The information can come from a third party because persons might know. For example, if there are persons whom this person confided in and say well ‘I have this disease’, that could be sufficient evidence to say this person knew they had this disease and they still went ahead and had unprotected sexual intercourse with another person.

“That to me will establish the person had intent to cause the grievous bodily harm,” Crown Counsel Nelson explained.

He however noted that without that third-party declaration, obtaining personal medical documents to use as evidence could present some difficulty.

“You can’t just move on the individual. There must be some sort of evidence that he committed a crime and in the absence of a person reporting the matter, you cannot be aware that a crime was actually committed,” the prosecutor added.

Meanwhile X’s crimes are generating discussion on local airwaves and on social media.

According to an article published on Monday March 10, 2014 in the Toronto Sun, X concealed his HIV-positive status from four sex partners and was found guilty of several crimes, including forcibly confining and assaulting his last victim.

The article noted that Justice Nancy Spies found X, 37 at the time, guilty of committing aggravated sexual assault by endangering the life of his last victim, between November 1, 2010 and New Year’s Day 2011 when he assaulted and held her captive for a few hours at his north Toronto home.

The Sun reported, “When police arrested X, a small-time pot dealer who lives on government assistance or disability, he admitted his HIV-positive status. When officers broke the grim news to the woman, she was so upset she became violently ill. Her worst fears were confirmed when she tested positive for HIV.

“Besides the last victim, X was also guilty of aggravated sexual assault against another woman between March 1, 2008 and August 5, 2010. This victim, like Xs last victim, also tested positive for HIV.”

In court, X denied hiding he was HIV positive, and claimed the two women consented to having unprotected sex with him while knowing of his condition. His version was rejected.

The Vincentian national also pleaded guilty to endangering two other women’s lives in 2009 and from January 1, 2003 to January 1, 2005. He admitted he had sex without revealing his condition to them. They tested negative for HIV.

X knew of his HIV status since May 2003 and despite repeated warnings by public health officials to disclose his condition to sex partners, he did not.

The SUN said when X was arrested in January 2011, police issued a public alert and Toronto public health authorities found the two other victims.

Russia: Russian Interior Ministry Press Service identified 130 cases of criminalisation of HIV transmission in 2018

How many Russians intentionally transmit HIV – Google translation from Russian article in News.Ru, published on January 25, 2019 – For article in Russian, scroll down.

Each year, the police recorded about 100 crimes under the article about intentional HIV transmission. So, in 2018 130 people were identified who committed similar offenses, in 2017 – 129. This was reported to the press service of the Russian Interior Ministry. At the same time, experts say that statistics hardly reflects the real picture. Most of the victims simply do not go to the police, fearing publicity. News.ru figured out whether it is difficult in court to punish the perpetrator of the infection and get a monetary compensation from him.

Despite the fact that on January 23, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Chief Medical Officer of Russia Anna Popova, reported a decrease in the rate of increase in HIV incidence in 2018 by 2%, the overall picture of the spread of the disease in the country can hardly be called favorable. According to official data, the number of HIV-infected Russians has almost reached 1 million people. At the same time, the head of the Federal Scientific and Methodological Center for the Prevention and Fight against AIDS, academician Vadim Pokrovsky, has repeatedly stated that there can be much more in fact, from 1.3 million to 1.5 million people.

Deliberate HIV infection in Russia is a criminal offense for which you can get up to eight years in prison. According to Article 122 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, punishment threatens those who knew about their positive status, but hid it from a partner, as well as for knowingly putting another person in danger of infection and for infection if their professional duties were not performed properly. Moreover, if a person does not know about his illness, he does not bear criminal responsibility. Criminal liability is also a threat for the intentional infection of a venereal disease (Article 121 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), but such cases are much less frequent by law enforcement agencies: five criminals were identified in 2017, and one was reported in 2018. The Russian Interior Ministry also told News.ru .

More often The immunodeficiency virus is transmitted sexually, during pregnancy or breastfeeding from mother to child and through untreated medical or cosmetic items, if they have already been used by an infected person.

As a rule, HIV is diagnosed in the second stage of the disease. That is, from the moment of infection it can take from six months to several years. That is why, when a person finds out about his status, he is not always able to say with certainty at what point the infection occurred and whether it was intentional or accidental. That is why far from everybody turns to the police, lawyer Alexander Tolmachyov suggested in a conversation with News.ru.

Most often, it is very difficult to prove the intention and guilt of the person who infected it. Especially if the infection occurred in a medical facility. And one person suffered, not several. But in some cases, when a person knows exactly when he was infected, it is possible not only to punish the perpetrator, but also to sue the impressive compensation, which will cover the costs of treatment and moral harm. A significant factor here will be that the disease is incurable,” the expert believes.

To identify who the person was infected with, you can use laboratory tests, told a senior member of the Russian Scientific and Methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, epidemiologist Oleg Yurin, to News.ru.

“In sets of one or two people with the virus, it is easy, there are some studies that show how close these viruses are” , – stated the expert.

The doctor after diagnosis can only recommend contacting the person from whom the disease could have been transmitted. Often people, fearing publicity, do not go to the police, even if there is a suspicion that the infection was intentional, he suggested.

“Usually they turn to the police if there was some kind of violence or something like that, or maybe an infection occurred in the medical institutions. But about the infection in the clinic – it is quite difficult to prove, it is necessary to conduct an investigation. Basically, the medical institution is suspicious if a child is infected. Children have practically no other way of infection, because they do not use drugs, there is no sex. But here too it is possible to prove that in a certain institution infection occurred, but to prove that it is the fault of a particular health professional -is also quite difficult “ , – said epidemiologist.

Сколько россиян умышленно заражают ВИЧ

Елена Оя

Ежегодно полицией фиксируются порядка 100 преступлений по статье об умышленном заражении ВИЧ-инфекцией. Так, в 2018 году были выявлены 130 человек, совершивших аналогичные правонарушения, в 2017-м — 129. Об этом News.ru сообщили в пресс-службе МВД России. При этом эксперты утверждают, что статистика едва ли отражает реальную картину. Большинство пострадавших просто не обращаются в полицию, боясь огласки. News.ru выяснял, сложно ли в судебном порядке наказать виновного в заражении и получить с него денежную компенсацию.

Несмотря на то, что 23 января руководитель Роспотребнадзора, главный санитарный врач России Анна Попова сообщила о снижении темпов прироста заболеваемости ВИЧ в 2018 году на 2%, общую картину по распространению болезни в стране трудно назвать благоприятной. По официальным данным, количество ВИЧ-инфицированных россиян практически достигло 1 млн человек. При этом руководитель Федерального научно-методического центра по профилактике и борьбе со СПИДом, академик Вадим Покровский неоднократно заявлял, что по факту заболевших может быть гораздо больше — от 1,3 млн до 1,5 млн человек.

Умышленное заражение ВИЧ в России является уголовным преступлением, за которое можно получить срок до восьми лет лишения свободы. Согласно статье 122 УК РФ, наказание грозит тем, кто знал о своём положительном статусе, но скрыл его от партнёра, а также за заведомое поставление другого лица в опасность заражения и за инфицирование при ненадлежащем исполнении профессиональных обязанностей. При этом если человек не знает о своём заболевании, то уголовной ответственности он не несёт. Грозит уголовная ответственность и за умышленное заражение венерическим заболеванием (121-я статья УК РФ), но такие случаи органы правопорядка фиксируют значительно реже: в 2017-м выявлены пять преступников, в 2018-м — один, также сообщили News.ru в МВД России.

Чаще всего вирус иммунодефицита передаётся половым путём, во время беременности или грудного вскармливания от матери к ребёнку и через необработанные надлежащим образом медицинские или косметические предметы, если ими уже пользовался заражённый человек.

Как правило, ВИЧ диагностируют на второй стадии развития заболевания. То есть от момента заражения может пройти от шести месяцев и до нескольких лет. Именно поэтому, когда человек узнаёт о своём статусе, он не всегда с уверенностью может сказать, в какой момент произошло заражение и было ли оно умышленным или случайным. Именно поэтому в полицию обращаются далеко не все, предположил в разговоре с News.ru юрист Александр Толмачев.

«Чаще всего доказать умышленность и вину человека, который заразил, очень сложно. Особенно если заражение произошло в медицинском учреждении. И пострадал один человек, а не несколько. Но в некоторых случая, когда человек точно знает, когда он был инфицирован, можно не только наказать виновного, но и отсудить внушительную компенсацию, которая покроет издержки на лечение и моральный вред. Существенным фактором здесь будет являться то, что заболевание неизлечимое», — считает эксперт.

Выявить, от кого заразился человек, можно с помощью лабораторных анализов, рассказал News.ru старший научный сотрудник Российского научно-методического центра по профилактике и борьбе со СПИДом, эпидемиолог Олег Юрин.

«Установить, один ли вирус у двух человек, несложно, есть определённые исследования, которые показывают, насколько близки эти вирусы», — констатировал специалист.

По его словам, выяснять или нет, от кого произошло заражение, решает сам инфицированный. Врач после постановки диагноза может только рекомендовать связаться с человеком, от которого могло передаться заболевание. Часто люди, боясь огласки, не обращаются в полицию, даже если есть подозрение, что заражение было умышленным, предположил он.

«Обычно в полицию обращаются, если имело место быть какое-то насилие или что-то в таком духе, либо, может быть, в медицинских учреждениях произошло заражение. Но насчёт заражения в поликлинике — это достаточно сложно доказать, нужно проводить расследование. В основном на медучреждение падает подозрение, если заразился ребёнок. У детей практически нет другого способа заражения, поскольку они наркотики не употребляют, половых контактов нет. Но здесь тоже можно доказать, что в таком-то учреждении заражение произошло, но что по вине конкретного медицинского работника — это тоже достаточно сложно», — сообщил эпидемиолог.

Tajikistan: Amendments to criminal code introduces criminal liability for beauty salons, hairdressers and other services & strengthened penalties in cases of alleged HIV transmission

Rahmon introduced criminal liability for hairdressers to HIV infection (Google translation from Russian)

In Tajikistan, the liability of doctors, beauty salons, hairdressers and other service enterprises for HIV infection has been strengthened. The President of the Republic, Emomali Rakhmon, has signed amendments to the Criminal and Administrative Codes made and supported by the Parliament, the Khovar agency reports .

Responsibility, according to the law, is provided for those employees who “due to non-compliance with sanitary and hygienic, sanitary and anti-epidemic rules and regulations have become the cause of the HIV / AIDS virus.” The punishment is also tightened for those who are engaged in the import and production of low-quality or counterfeit medicines that do not meet established standards, or sells expired medicines.

Other amendments made to the Criminal Code strengthened the responsibility for intentional infection with the HIV / AIDS virus and human trafficking. For how long the penalties are tightened, it is not reported, it says only that “the full text of the adopted laws will be published in the official press of the country in the coming days.”

The first, which became known to the media, the case of accountability in Tajikistan of a person guilty of mass infection of the disease, occurred in August 2018. A court in the Sharuz district of the Khatlon region sentenced a local woman who engaged in prostitution and thus infected 10 men with HIV, to one year’s imprisonment.

Later began “sanitary” raids on hairdressing and dental clinics. In the Khatlon region, several barber shops, beauty salons and dental clinics were closed, and in the Sughd region, dozens of dental offices and beauty salons closed for violation of sanitary and hygienic standards.

This happened after September 1 at the State Medical University Rakhmon criticized the activities of private dental clinics, expressed concern about the growth of infectious diseases, instructing the Ministry of Health and other specialized departments to “take action”, and also proposed criminal liability for dentists and hairdressers customers are infected with any kind of infection.

Source: Fergana News, January 3, 2019

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Рахмон ввел ответственность для парикмахеров за заражение ВИЧ

В Таджикистане усилена ответственность врачей, работников салонов красоты, парикмахерских и других предприятий сферы обслуживания за заражение ВИЧ. Президент республики Эмомали Рахмон подписал внесенные и поддержанные парламентом поправки в Уголовный и административный кодексы, сообщает агентство «Ховар».

Ответственность, говорится в законе, предусмотрена для тех сотрудников, которые «из-за несоблюдения санитарно-гигиенических, санитарно-противоэпидемических правил и норм стали причиной заражения вирусом ВИЧ/СПИД». Наказание ужесточено также для тех, кто занимается ввозом и производством низкокачественных или поддельных медикаментов, не отвечающих установленным стандартам, или продает просроченные лекарства.

Другими изменениями, внесенными в УК, усилена ответственность за умышленное заражение вирусом ВИЧ/СПИД и торговлю людьми. На какие сроки ужесточены наказания, не сообщается, говорится только, что «полный текст принятых законов в ближайшие дни будет опубликован в официальной прессе страны».

Первый, ставший известным СМИ, случай привлечения к ответственности в Таджикистане лица, виновного в массовом заражении болезнью, произошел в августе 2018 года. Суд Шаартузского района Хатлонской области приговорил местную жительницу, занимавшуюся проституцией и заразившую таким образом ВИЧ-инфекцией 10 мужчин, к одному году лишения свободы.

Позже начались «санитарные» рейды на парикмахерские и стоматологические клиники. В Хатлонской области были закрыты несколько парикмахерских, салонов красоты и стоматологических клиник, а в Согдийской области за нарушение санитарно-гигиенических норм закрыли десятки стоматологических кабинетов и салонов красоты.

Это произошло после того, как 1 сентября в Государственном медуниверситете Рахмон раскритиковал деятельность частных стоматологических клиник, выразил обеспокоенность ростом инфекционных заболеваний, поручив Минздраву и другим профильным ведомствам «принять меры», а также предложил ввести уголовную ответственность для стоматологов и парикмахеров, если по их вине клиенты заражаются какой-либо инфекцией.