Open AccessHistorical and Current Trends in HIV Criminalization in South Carolina: Implications for the Southern HIV Epidemic
Author(s) -
Deanna Cann,
Sayward E. Harrison,
Shan Qiao
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aids and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.994
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1573-3254
pISSN - 1090-7165
DOI - 10.1007/s10461-019-02599-1
Subject(s) - criminalization , criminology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , state (computer science) , law , public health , political science , enforcement , law enforcement , sociology , virology , medicine , nursing , algorithm , computer science
In the 1980s, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) criminalization laws became widespread across the United States. Today, such laws continue to be used to prosecute people living with HIV for a variety of behaviors though there is limited evidence that doing so curbs HIV transmission. HIV criminalization remains understudied, especially in the Deep South. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to trace the emergence, maintenance, and enforcement of HIV criminalization laws in South Carolina-a Southern state disproportionately burdened by HIV. Specifically, Nexis Uni and other criminology databases were used to identify HIV-related laws and criminal cases in South Carolina. Results indicate that the state's criminalization laws have remained nearly unchanged for over 30 years and continue to be used to prosecute individuals, a majority of whom are African-American. Findings support the need to reconsider HIV-related laws and devote more efforts to studying the impact of HIV criminalization on the Southern epidemic.