AIDS Panic in the Twenty-First Century: The Tenuous Legal Status of HIV-Positive Persons in America

Richard Cockerill; Lance Wahlert

doi:10.1007/s11673-015-9653-5

AIDS Panic in the Twenty-First Century: The Tenuous Legal Status of HIV-Positive Persons in America

Richard Cockerill^*, Lance Wahlert

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Thirty-four states criminalize HIV in some way, whether by mandating disclosure of one’s HIV status to all sexual partners or by deeming the saliva of HIV-positive persons a “deadly weapon.” In this paper, we argue that HIV-specific criminal laws are rooted in historical prejudice against HIV-positive persons as a class. While purporting to promote public health goals, these laws instead legally sanction discrimination against a class of persons.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	377-381
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
Volume	12
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-015-9653-5
State	Published - Sep 1 2015
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

AIDS
Bioethics
Criminal law
Criminalization
HIV

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
Health Policy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s11673-015-9653-5

Cite this

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abstract = "Thirty-four states criminalize HIV in some way, whether by mandating disclosure of one{\textquoteright}s HIV status to all sexual partners or by deeming the saliva of HIV-positive persons a “deadly weapon.” In this paper, we argue that HIV-specific criminal laws are rooted in historical prejudice against HIV-positive persons as a class. While purporting to promote public health goals, these laws instead legally sanction discrimination against a class of persons.",

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AB - Thirty-four states criminalize HIV in some way, whether by mandating disclosure of one’s HIV status to all sexual partners or by deeming the saliva of HIV-positive persons a “deadly weapon.” In this paper, we argue that HIV-specific criminal laws are rooted in historical prejudice against HIV-positive persons as a class. While purporting to promote public health goals, these laws instead legally sanction discrimination against a class of persons.

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KW - Bioethics

KW - Criminal law

KW - Criminalization

KW - HIV

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AIDS Panic in the Twenty-First Century: The Tenuous Legal Status of HIV-Positive Persons in America

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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