Act Now to #DecriminalizeHIV (2015)

NEW YORK, NY, November 25, 2015 – The Time to Act is Now. That’s the U.S. government’s theme for World AIDS Day 2015, this Tuesday, December 1. In the spirit of acting now, The Center for HIV Law & Policy (CHLP), in collaboration with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), is releasing its Grassroots Guide to HIVCriminalization: Facts, Foolishness, and Solutions.

While plenty needs to be done to stay on track for achieving an AIDS-free generation, advances in medical science have dramatically improved the medical outlook for people living with HIV. Instead, it’s the social and legal reality of living with HIV that most desperately needs addressing.

HIV disproportionately affects people of color, men who have sex with men and transgender women, and those without access to quality health care. Even worse, many states still criminalize HIV. This guide explains the simple medical facts of HIV transmission and care in 2015, addresses the legal foolishness that discriminates against and imprisons people living with HIV, and gives solutions for anyone willing to act now to decriminalize HIV. 

On Monday, November 30 at 12:00 noon, CHLP Founder and Executive Director Catherine Hanssens will host a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) e-community education event. She will answer questions about the Grassroots Guide to HIV Criminalization, as well as the routes, risks and realities of HIV transmission and care.

Stay tuned for more on World AIDS Day on Tuesday, December 1, including the release of an educational video about HIV criminalization – a collaborative project of CHLP, NCLR and the Human Rights Campaign.

Like the CHLP and Positive Justice Project Facebook pages to keep up to date on the latest developments about HIV criminalization. Follow @CtrHIVLawPolicy on twitter and @hiv_law_policy on Instagram. And finally, don’t forget to Post, RT, and Snap using #decriminalizehiv, #WAD2015, and #endbadHIVlaws!

The Center for HIV Law and Policy is a national legal and policy resource and strategy center working to reduce the impact of HIV on vulnerable and marginalized communities and to secure the human rights of people affected by HIV.

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The Center for HIV Law and Policy
65 Broadway, Suite 832
New York, NY 10006
www.hivlawandpolicy.org