“People can be prosecuted even if they used a condom, had a low viral load, had no intention to harm, and did not transmit HIV. If they don’t (use a condom and have a low viral load), they are supposed to tell their partners beforehand that they have HIV. Some women have toiled to create email trails showing that they disclosed to their partners. Now, women living with HIV must contend not only with the possibility of rejection, shame, or violence if they disclose, but also with the fear of criminalization. The law provides abusers with another tool for blackmail and further violence, even in cases where a woman disclosed. All the partner has to do is claim she didn’t.”
Women living with HIV must contend not only with the possibility of rejection, shame, or violence if they disclose, but also with the fear of criminalization. The law provides abusers with another tool for blackmail and further violence, even in cases where a woman disclosed. All the partner has to do is claim she didn’t. It’s important to generate strategies, such as electronic or paper documentation of disclosure, to protect women living with HIV from harassment, blackmail, abuse, criminal charges, and prosecution, all of which are fueled by the law. They need ways to look out for themselves physically, emotionally, and legally.