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The Sero Project and the Transgender
Law Center surveyed HIV-infected people in the United States to determine the
effect of disclosure laws on HIV testing and treatment. According to the
National HIV Criminalization Survey, 58 percent of transgender and third
sex-identified HIV-infected people avoided HIV testing for fear of prosecution.
Sixty-one percent viewed fear of prosecution as a reason not to disclose HIV
status to a sexual partner, and 48 percent indicated they would avoid treatment
for fear of prosecution.
Those surveyed reported they lacked
clarity about offenses that could result in arrest, did not trust the court
system, and had little knowledge of disclosure laws or the likelihood of
prosecution for failure to disclose their HIV status. Although many states
required HIV-infected people to disclose HIV status to others or face
punishment, states in the Midwest and South enforced these laws more
aggressively. Participants from these regions were more mistrustful of the
criminal justice system and less likely to have HIV testing; those from the
Northwest were less likely to know about their states’ disclosure laws. Only 15
percent of HIV-infected transgender people believed that HIV-infected persons
could receive fair treatment in the criminal justice system.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus.
To learn more about The Friends of
AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
