Informational Resources
In this section you’ll find information and resources about HIV criminalization.
HIV Criminalization: A Challenge to Public Health and Ending AIDS
December 11, 2022
HIV criminal laws are based on scientifically inaccurate depictions of HIV risks and transmission routes. These laws perpetuate misperceptions about risks for HIV transmission and increase stigma against people living with HIV.
Best Practices Guide to Reform HIV-Specific Criminal Laws to Align with Scientifically-Supported Factors
June 9, 2019
While HIV-specific state criminal laws may be viewed as initially well-intentioned and necessary law enforcement tools, the vast majority do not reflect the current state of the science of HIV and, as a result, place unique and additional burdens on individuals living with HIV.
Bringing Change
House Bill 1599
HIV Modernization Act of 2020
In January 2020 Representative John Clemmons introduced HB 1599 which is consistent with the best practices’ guidance provided by the Department of Justice (2014). House Bill 1599, the Tennessee HIV Modernization Act, is informed by and consistent with leading medical experts and associations of health care providers that call for an end to the use of the criminal law to target the conduct of people living with HIV and other diseases, such as the American Medical Association, the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, the American Psychological Association, and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.
HIV Criminalization in Tennessee
The Time to Modernize is Now!
HIV today is manageable chronic illness; a person diagnosed today can expect to live a normal lifespan. The Tennessee Department of Health has joined the “Undetectable Equals Untransmittable” (U = U) campaign which promotes the message that individuals with HIV who are virally suppressed through antiretroviral treatment pose no risk of HIV transmission to their partners.