"37 states still have laws that criminalize *exposure* to HIV."

[tblue37]

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COVID will soon have killed more Americans in the last 18 months than AIDS has in 40 years. 37 states still have laws that criminalize *exposure* to HIV. I suspect the same people who fought for the latter are the same arguing against masks & vaccines. This fucking country.

[central scrutinizer]

1. But, but, all lives matter

Or not.

[Ms. Toad]

2. This is a bit misleading.

Ohio is one of those states.

Specifically what Ohio criminalizes is failure to disclose your status (if positive) to your sexual partners prior to engaging in sexual activity with them.

It is a felony - and that should probably be revisited, now that there treatments that make HIV/AIDs a chronic condition, rather than a death sentence. Recent changes also have minimized the risk of transmission for people with well-controlled HIV/AIDS.

BUT the cost of keeping HIV/AIDS chronic, rather than deadly is not insignificant. So exposing someone to that risk (and potential lifetime cost) without allowing them to make an informed choice about it is some level of assault. (Ohio does not distinguish between harm and the threat of harm, calling both assault)

And criminalizing taking someone's ability to make an informed choice is not the same as criminalizing exposure.