Proponents call it “decriminalizing” HIV — taking away the penalty for having unprotected sex without first disclosing your status of having the human immunodeficiency virus.
There’s a move in the Illinois legislature to remove penalty, WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports.
The current law has been in effect since 2012. A conviction carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison, according to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Now, public health advocates like Chris Wade of the Illinois Public Health Association want to repeal the law.
“People like myself who’ve been living with HIV for almost 27 years now, it’s been fearful for me. Anyone could make an allegation that I did not disclose my status and pull me into court, and I have no recourse unless I’m signing contracts in the bedroom,” Wade said Thursday.
The bill to repeal the law is sponsored in the Illinois Senate by Robert Peters, who represents Hyde Park, Kenwood and South Shore.
“Not a single study throughout the country shows HIV criminalization has reduced HIV transmission,” he said.
Related
