Evaluating the Impact of Criminal Laws on HIV Risk Behavior

Abstract

Criminal law is one of the regulatory tools being used in the United States to influence risk behavior by people who have HIV/AIDS. Several different types of laws have been or could be used in this way These include:HIV-specific exposure and transmission laws — i.e., laws that explicitly mention and exclusively apply to conduct by people with HIV;public health statutes prohibiting conduct that would expose others to communicable diseases and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs); andgeneral criminal laws governing attempted murder and assault.