The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) today launched their Global Criminalisation Scan microsite, an incredibly important and useful new resource for anyone interested in criminal HIV exposure and transmission laws.
The GNP+ Global Criminalisation Scan site is a living, growing document of laws, judicial practices and case studies of criminalisation worldwide. Data from over 150 jurisdictions are currently available with more to come early next year.
I am proud to say that I have been part of the small team working on this site. I have also written a series of articles for the in-depth section examining the real difficulties in implementing these laws using case studies from around the world.
These include articles on:
- The burden of proof
- Understanding HIV transmission
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Human rights and discrimination, and
- Reproductive rights
NEWS RELEASE
Global Criminalisation Scan now online
December 1, 2008
Today, a new collection of information on the criminalisation of HIV transmission was published online at criminalisation.gnpplus.net.
Criminalising the sexual transmission of HIV is a trend seen in countries around the world. Globally hundreds of people have been sentenced for non-intentional HIV transmission, exposing others to the potential transmission of HIV, or failing to disclose their status to their sexual partners, with punishments of up to life imprisonment.
People living with HIV and their advocates believe that these prosecutions hinder prevention efforts and increase stigma. Such criminalisation unjustly places responsibility exclusively on the shoulders of people living with HIV and diminishes the empowerment of individuals to gain control over their health irrelevant of their HIV status.
GNP+ and partner organizations have documented laws criminalising the transmission of or exposure to HIV to support advocacy efforts with providing an easily accessible ‘clearing-house’ of resources, research, and initiatives on the subject.
The Global Criminalisation Scan is the first ever effort attempting to document laws, judicial practices and case studies, around the criminalisation of HIV transmission on a world wide scale. Information from over 150 jurisdictions worldwide is already online. Early in 2009, information from over 200 jurisdictions will be available.
The Global Criminalisation Scan presents the laws on HIV transmission or exposure, as well as offering an analysis of individual cases of criminal prosecution. Where possible the Global Criminalisation Scan links back to media and other reports and research, including court proceedings.
So far four out of the six Global Criminalisation Scan partners have gone ‘live’ with their research and data is now available from Asia/Pacific, Europe/Central Asia, Central and Latin America, as well as North America.
Currently the Global Criminalisation Scan partners are the Asia Pacific Network of People living with HIV ( Asia Pacific), GNP+ North America (North America), Grupo Genesis Panama Positivo on behalf of RedLA+ (Central/Latin America), and Terrence Higgins Trust (Europe/Central Asia).
The Network of African People living with HIV (NAP+) and the Caribbean Network of people living with HIV (CRN+) will be joining this group in 2009 and launching the sections on Africa and the Caribbean respectively.
The Global Criminalisation Scan is based on earlier work carried out in 2005 by
GNP+ Europe and Terrence Higgins Trust (THT).
The Global Criminalisation Scan is a living document. More information will be added as it comes in. We encourage everyone to send additional information on their country or region to the contacts listed on the regional pages or to the global contact address at GlobalCriminalisationScan@gnpplus.net
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