"A new study of 16 states by the Williams Institute shows Black Americans are more likely than any other race to be arrested and convicted for HIV-related allegations, and were arrested for HIV-related crimes at higher rates than their overall share of the population. In 64% of the states analyzed, Black Americans faced higher rates of arrest than their share of PLWH in the state."
"Legislation criminalizing the transmission of HIV started in the 1980s, in response to events largely fueled by fear that the AIDS epidemic - which at the time was perceived as gay men's disease, and was originally called Gay Related Immunodeficiency Syndrome (GRID) - would spread to heterosexuals."
"In 1990, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency (CARE) Act was enacted, providing funding to states on the condition that their criminal laws addressed intentional HIV exposure and transmission."
Thirty-two states have laws criminalizing people living with HIV (PLWH) for engaging in consensual sexual activity without disclosing their status, with 28 states enhancing penalties based on HIV knowledge. A Williams Institute study of 16 states found Black Americans are arrested and convicted for HIV-related crimes at rates exceeding their share of the PLWH population in 64% and 75% of states respectively. HIV criminalization laws originated in the 1980s during the AIDS epidemic, driven by fear and stigma. The 1987 Reagan Presidential Commission recommended HIV-specific laws, and the 1990 Ryan White CARE Act incentivized states to adopt punitive legislation addressing intentional HIV exposure and transmission.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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