Some Groups Say Iowa HIV Transmission Law Worsens Stigma, Hinders Testing Efforts

Some Iowa groups are concerned that the state's criminal HIV transmission law adds to the stigma associated with the virus and hampers testing efforts, and are urging lawmakers to revisit the law, the Iowa Independent reports. According to the Independent, criminal transmission of HIV is classified among the second-most serious felonies that can be committed in the state. Those that have been convicted under the law have been sentenced to a few months to several decades in prison. Ed Fallon, a former Iowa representative that supported the 1998 law, said, "It seems to me that since it is now 11, almost 12, years later, it wouldn't be [a] bad time to take a look at it again," adding that "surely [there] are some tweaks or changes that the legislature could consider relevant to this law, especially with all the new knowledge we have of the disease" (Waddington, 7/1).

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