Position paper de francia sobre criminalization of hiv transmission

Committee: United Nations Programme on AIDS(UNAIDS)
Topic: Criminalization of HIV Transmission
Country: France
Delegate: Manuel Arturo Herrera Hernández
School: Colegio España Jardines

Lawsthat make HIV transmission and exposure a crime are not appropriate on legal, human rights or public health grounds, they do not contribute to incapacitation of criminals, to rehabilitation ordeterrence of future misdeeds. Even if prosecutions by the terms of these laws are relatively few compared with the millions of people whom they might involve, media coverage of court cases can be rationallyexpected to undermine people’s inclinations to seek HIV services, including testing and treatment and, more generally, to contribute to a climate of misinformation, fear and stigma related to HIV andhence people living with HIV or perceived to have HIV.
France has no specific statutory provisions criminalizing the intentional sexual transmission of HIV or the exposure of others to a risk oftransmission. However, several provisions of the criminal legislation could potentially be applied to the sexual transmission of HIV. From the responses received, it appears that precise information isnot available for the number of people prosecuted for transmitting HIV in France. According to Act Up-Paris, four people have been convicted. AIDES put the figure at two. It is estimated that the firstprosecution was brought in 1996 and one of the convictions was secured within the last 12 months. The maximum sentence applicable is life imprisonment. Transmission of other sexually transmittedinfections is not subject to prosecution.
Hospital Clínic de Barcelona-IDIBAPS have created the first effective therapeutic vaccine against AIDS, with international collaboration with teams from theUniversité Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris / INSERM (France) and the National Cancer Institute of Maryland (USA). Teach moral and sexual education, and distribute brochures in emails AIDS public health...