Outdated Laws Preserve HIV Stigma

Outdated criminal laws preserve HIV stigma, according to a Huffington Post article by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). The article calls for an end to HIV criminalization – the use of criminal law to penalize people living with HIV for conduct that would be indisputably legal if they did not get tested or know their status. Senator Coons explains that "it's simply not fair that someone having been diagnosed with a treatable medical condition should automatically be subject to a different set of criminal laws."  On December 10, 2013, Senator Coons introduced the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act in the U.S. Senate to "require an interagency review of federal and state laws that criminalize certain actions by people living with HIV." In the article, Senator Coons notes that The Center for HIV Law and Policy has endorsed the proposed legislation. Fusion featured an article by Jorge Rivas covering the introduction of the bill. Fusion reports that The Center for HIV Law and Policy has documented and monitored dozens of HIV criminalization cases across the country

In connection with this proposed legislation, CHLP created a toolkit for community advocates that can be used in outreach efforts with elected officials.