HIV is Not a Crime
Criminal law has been unjustly used in the United States
to target people with HIV. These laws, originally written to protect the public
from a perceived threat that a person infected with HIV could use their disease
as a weapon against others, are based on long-outdated beliefs about the roots
and risks of HIV transmission. They were drafted at a time when HIV was
understood to be a “death sentence,” when it is in fact a chronic, manageable
disease.
As a result of this widespread ignorance about HIV, the
blood, semen, and saliva of people living with HIV have been referred to as
“deadly weapons,” and HIV positive individuals have been charged with crimes
ranging from aggravated assault to attempted murder, and even bioterrorism.
Call on
Congress to pass the REPEAL Act!
The Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow
Legal (REPEAL) HIV Discrimination Act (H.R. 1843/ S.1790) addresses the serious problem of discrimination in the
use of criminal and civil commitment laws against those who test positive for
HIV. This bill also creates incentives and support for states to reform
existing policies that use the criminal law to target people living with HIV
for felony charges and severe punishments for behavior that is otherwise legal
or that poses no measurable risk of HIV transmission.
Public health
leaders and global policy makers agree that HIV criminalization is unjust, bad
public health policy and is fueling the epidemic rather than reducing it. Following
the release of a new and long-awaited Department of Justice and CDC article on
HIV criminalization, people of
faith and health advocates in speaking out in support of the REPEAL!
Learn more:
Take action:
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Personalize the subject and text of the message below with your own words, if you wish.
- Complete the form below with your information.
- Click the Send Message button to send your letter to these decision makers:
- Your Senators
- Your Representative
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Dear [Decision Maker],
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Sincerely,
[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State ZIP] [Your Email]
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