World’s leading researchers say scientific evidence does not support HIV criminalization laws

published on July 25, 2018 in Africa Science News

Twenty of the world’s leading HIV scientists have launched an evidence-based consensus that systematically refutes the rationale for laws that criminalize HIV transmission. The “Expert Consensus Statement on the Science of HIV in the Context of Criminal Law” and an accompanying editorial will be published at 15:15 CEST today in the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) today.
(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jia2.25161?utm_source=IAS&utm_campaign=795e9d81b1-media-release-prevention_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_58c4aa5b50-795e9d81b1-103347025)
Concerned that HIV criminalization laws are partly driven by a poor appreciation of the science around HIV, the panel of 20 global experts developed a Consensus Statement describing the best medical and scientific evidence around HIV transmission to inform the justice system.
According to the Expert Consensus Statement, at least 68 countries criminalize HIV non-disclosure, exposure or transmission. Another 33 countries are known to have applied other criminal law provisions in similar cases. People living with HIV continue to be accused, arrested, prosecuted and/or convicted for non-disclosure, possible or perceived exposure or transmission of HIV in cases where: no harm was intended; HIV transmission did not occur, was extremely unlikely or impossible; and transmission was neither alleged nor proven.
“Simply put, HIV criminalization laws are ineffective, unwarranted and discriminatory,” Expert Consensus Statement co-author and IAS President Linda-Gail Bekker said. “In many cases, these misconceived laws exacerbate the spread of HIV by driving people living with and at risk of infection into hiding and away from treatment services.”
The 20 co-authors of the Expert Consensus Statement include Nobel Laureate Françoise Barré-Sinoussi of the Pasteur Institute, Salim Abdool Karim of Columbia University, Chris Beyrer of John Hopkins University, Pedro Cahn of Buenos Aires University, Peter Godfrey-Faussett of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Julio Montaner of the University of British Columbia and other leading global scientists with expertise in research, epidemiology and patient care. The Expert Consensus Statement has been endorsed by the International AIDS Society, International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and other organizations and scientists.

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Julio Montaner

BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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World’s leading researchers say scientific evidence does not support HIV criminalization laws

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