What the experts say

International Organisations

For more than a decade, UN and other international agencies have recognised HIV criminalisation as a global concern, calling for review of legal frameworks and the use of laws to target HIV.

17 resources

International Organisations

15 resources

National medical organisations

12 resources

National policy organisations

4 resources

Other health/policy organisations

Ending unjust HIV criminalization: leave no-one behind

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jia2.25681

This article discusses the issue of HIV criminalization, highlighting that such laws are often based on myths, misconceptions, and ignorance about HIV transmission and can lead to discrimination and stigma against people living with HIV. The article emphasizes that HIV criminalization poses a significant barrier to achieving universal access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care. The authors conclude by calling for the removal of HIV criminalization laws entirely to ensure justice for all individuals living with HIV and to end the discrimination and stigma associated with these laws.

Author
Edwin J Bernard, Chris Beyrer, Edwin Cameron, Michaela Clayton, Alexandra Volgina
Reference
25 February 2021
Format
Perspective article
Countries
Global

Decriminalisation and the end of AIDS: keep the promise, follow the science, and fulfill human rights

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26410397.2023.2194188

A statement from the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights stating that criminal laws violate a variety of human rights, including the rights to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, non-discrimination, privacy, autonomy, dignity, freedom of expression, freedom from arbitrary detention, and ultimately the right to life, among others and calls for States to take proactive measures to end such practices and abolish the underlying criminalisation.

Author
UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights
Reference
June 2023
Format
Academic article
Countries
Global

Ending overly broad criminalisation of HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission: Critical scientific, medical and legal considerations

http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/20130530_Guidance_Ending_Criminalisation_0.pdf

Restates UNAIDS’ position on criminalisation and makes specific recommendations to help governments, policy-makers, law enforcement officials, and civil society limit the overly broad application of criminal law to HIV.

Author
UNAIDS
Reference
2013
Format
Guidance Note
Countries
Global
Alternative links
Spanish / Español

General Comment No. 22 (2016) on the Right to sexual and reproductive health (article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).

https://academy.hivjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/G1608932.pdf

Includes comment (at page 40) that States must reform laws that impede the exercise of the right to sexual and reproductive health. Examples include laws criminalizing non-disclosure of HIV status, and exposure to and transmission of HIV.

 

Author
United Nations Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner
Reference
4 March 2016
Format
Statement
Countries
Global
Alternative links
Spanish / Español, Russian / Русский

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health

http://www.aidslaw.ca/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/4_R.Special2010EN.pdf

Commentary includes clear statements outlining many ways that criminalisation undermines effective HIV response.

Author
Anand Grover
Reference
UN General Assembly, Human Rights Council, Fourteenth session, Agenda item 3, A/HRC/14/20, April 27, 2010
Format
Statement
Countries
Global

Oslo Declaration on HIV Criminalisation

http://www.aidslaw.ca/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Oslo_declaration.pdf

Outlines the importance of a cohesive, evidence-informed approach to use of criminal law relating to HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission. Urges Ministries of Health and Justice, public health officials, policymakers and criminal justice system actors to ensure a proportionate response to HIV transmission risk.

 

Author
International Civil Society in Oslo, Norway
Reference
February 13, 2012
Format
Statement
Countries
Global
Alternative links
Chinese / 中文, French / Français, German / Deutsche, Italian / Italiano, Portuguese / Português, Russian / Русский, Spanish / Español

International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW) Position Statement on Criminalization of Women Living with HIV

https://academy.hivjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/267526864-ICW-Position-Statement-2015-CRIMINALIZATION-OF-WOMEN-LIVING-WITH-HIV-NON-DISCLOSURE-EXPOSURE-AND-TRANSMISSION-1.pdf

Argues that criminalisation of women living with HIV for non-disclosure, exposure or transmission undermines public health strategies and increases risk of violence against women. Includes recommendations.

Author
The International Community of Women Living with HIV
Reference
2015
Format
Position Statement (Updated)
Countries
Global

Criminalization of HIV transmission Policy Brief

http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/jc1601_policy_brief_criminalization_long_en.pdf

Urges governments to limit criminalisation of HIV to cases of intentional transmission. Argues that criminal law should not be applied in a range of circumstances, including where there is no significant risk of transmission.

Author
UNDP / UNAIDS
Reference
2008
Format
Policy Brief
Countries
Global
Alternative links
French/Français, Spanish/Español, Russian/Русский

Expert meeting on the scientific, medical, legal and human rights aspects of criminalisation of HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission

http://files.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/document/2012/ReportUNAIDSExpertMeetingOnCriminalisationHIV_Final.pdf

This report contains the views, opinions and suggestions for policy orientation and formulation of the participants at an expert meeting (convened on 31 August–2 September 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland) that brought together scientists, medical practitioners and legal experts in order (i) to consider the latest scientific and medical facts about HIV that should be taken into account in the context of criminalisation, and (ii) to explore how to best address issues of harm, risk, intent and proof—including alternative responses to criminalisation—in light of this science and medicine.

Author
UNAIDS
Reference
Meeting Report Geneva, Switzerland 31 August – 2 September 2011
Format
Report
Countries
Global

Fast Track and Human Rights – Advancing human rights in efforts to accelerate the response to HIV

http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/JC2895_Fast-Track%20and%20human%20rights_Print.pdf

Spells out for the first time (on p23) that there must be “Non-criminalization of mother-to-child transmission” when a country applies for validation for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This  marks the first time in public health history that human rights guarantees are considered a prerequisite to validating disease elimination.

Author
UNAIDS
Reference
2017 Guidance
Format
Guidance Note
Countries
Global

Women and HIV criminalization

https://academy.hivjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Women_and_HIV_Criminalization-4-1.pdf

This policy brief represents the view, as women living with HIV, of the current state of criminalization of HIV among women in Canada and the United States after reviewing academic and grey literature, statutes and policies and an unpublished survey of membership. ICW-NA members highlighted their concern about stigma and discrimination in the justice system related to HIV non-disclosure.

Author
The International Community of Women Living with HIV North America (ICW-NA)
Reference
December 2015
Format
Policy Brief
Countries
Canada, United States

Risks, Rights & Health – Supplement

https://academy.hivjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/HIV-and-the-Law-supplement-FINAL.pdf

This Supplement highlights developments since 2012 in science, technology, law, geopolitics, and funding that affect people living with or at risk from HIV and its coinfections. The recommendations add to and amplify those of the Commission’s 2012 report Risks, Rights & Health, which remain as relevant as they were six years ago.

Author
Global Commission on HIV and the Law
Reference
July 2018
Format
Report
Countries
Global
Alternative links
Russian, Español, Français

Expert consensus statement on the science of HIV in the context of criminal law

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jia2.25161

Twenty scientists from regions across the world developed this Expert Consensus Statement to address the use of HIV science by the criminal justice system. Description of the possibility of HIV transmission was limited to acts most often at issue in criminal cases. The authors recommend that caution be exercised when considering prosecution, and encourage governments and those working in legal and judicial systems to pay close attention to the significant advances in HIV science that have occurred over the last three decades to ensure current scientific knowledge informs application of the law in cases related to HIV.

Author
Barré‐Sinoussi, F., Abdool Karim, S. S., Albert, J., Bekker, L.‐G., Beyrer, C., Cahn, P., Calmy, A., Grinsztejn, B., Grulich, A., Kamarulzaman, A., Kumarasamy, N., Loutfy, M. R., El Filali, K. M., Mboup, S., Montaner, J. S. G., Munderi, P., Pokrovsky, V., Vandamme, A.‐M., Young, B. and Godfrey‐Faussett, P.
Reference
J Int AIDS Soc. 2018; 21(7):e25161
Format
Consensus Statement
Countries
Global
Alternative links
Czech: Expertní prohlášení k vědeckým poznatkům o HIV v kontextu trestního práva , French: Déclaration de consensus d'experts sur la connaissance scientifique relative au VIH dans le contexte du droit pénal, German: Expertenkonsens zur HIV-Wissenschaft im Kontext des Strafrechts, Mandarin: 專家共識聲明:刑法脈絡下的愛滋相關科學, Russian: Заявление об экспертном консенсусе в отношении научных данных о ВИЧ- инфекции в контексте уголовного права , Spanish: Declaración de Consenso de expertos sobre la ciencia relativa al VIH en el contexto del derecho penal

HIV Criminalization – Human Rights Fact sheet Series

https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/01-hiv-human-rights-factsheet-criminalization_en.pdf

Series of fact sheets on human rights highlighting the critical need to scale up action on rights. Short, easy to digest and accessible document outlining the latest epidemiology, the evidence of the impact of human rights interventions, the latest targets, and international guidelines, recommendations and human rights obligations.

Other factsheets in the same series released in June 2021 include: HIV and people who use drugs, HIV and gay men and who have sex with other men, HIV and transgender and other gender-diverse people, HIV and sex work, HIV and people in prisons and other closed settings and HIV and stigma and discrimination.

Author
UNAIDS
Reference
Human Rights Fact Sheet Series 2021
Format
Factsheet
Countries
Global

HIV, the Law and Human Rights in the African Human Rights System: Key Challenges and Opportunities for Rights-Based Responses

https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/HIV_Law_AfricanHumanRightsSystem_en.pdf

Report on the Study of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The report presents the current state of the HIV epidemic in Africa through a human rights and gender lens by showing the populations and locations most affected by HIV and those underserved by the response to the epidemic. It also describes the global, regional and national norms and standards relating to HIV and health, as well as their interpretation and application by African regional mechanisms, United Nations (UN) bodies and national courts and institutions. It further provides a detailed analysis of the key human rights challenges affecting the response to HIV on the continent.

Author
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Reference
2018
Format
Report
Countries
Africa
Alternative links
Français