Next week, the American Bar Association will host, in Washington, DC, a special panel on HIV criminalization.  They are also accepting comments from the public until October 31. 

I want to encourage readers of this blog to consider sharing their thoughts with the American Bar Association about HIV criminalization, especially how you personally respond to the prospect of prosecution.

We know that legislators pass HIV criminalization in response to misunderstandings about the actual risks and routes of HIV transmission, to satisfy the public’s blood-thirst to punish people with HIV and from a belief that HIV criminalization will result in less transmission of HIV. 

But how do these statutes affect you?  Do criminalization statutes make you more or less likely to disclose?  Are you afraid that you might unjustly be accused of failing to disclose?  Do you think criminalization statutes encourage people with HIV to lie? 

How does criminalization affect stigma?  Do you think criminalization encourages or discourages people from getting tested for HIV?  Have you ever had a misunderstanding with someone over whether or not you disclosed?

If you have any comments you would like to share, please post them as a comment below or email them to me directly at SeanS-at-poz.com.  Let me know whether or not your name and contact information can be included.  I’ll collate comments and send them to be included in the American Bar Association’s consideration of this issue.

Thanks.