HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day 2024

Wednesday, February 28, marks the third annual HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day (#HINACDay; #HIVIsNotACrime). “This awareness day is an opportunity to amplify the voices of those who have been criminalized based on their HIV status” and is also “a day to support advocates mobilizing to change laws during their legislative session that target people living with HIV,” note the event organizers via Facebook posts on their HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day page.

As of this year, HINAC Day is recognized as a global awareness day; as such, the day has been rebranded, including a new logo:

The awareness day is spearheaded by The Sero Project, a nonprofit that fights HIV crime laws, along with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and other global HIV advocacy groups. Search the hashtags online to find promotional and educational posts and info about events near you as well as those held virtually.

For example, on Wednesday, February 28, and Thursday, February 29, Project Share is hosting virtual town halls in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. And the HIV Justice Network is hosting a live web show on Wednesday. Details for some events are listed below; for additional information, visit the HINAC Day Facebook page.

HIV criminalization refers to the use of unfair laws to target people who have HIV—notably African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ people and women—and punish them based on their HIV status rather than their actions. Under outdated laws, people with HIV can be sentenced to prison simply for allegedly not disclosing their status to their partners, even in cases where HIV was not transmitted. What’s more, many older HIV laws are not based on the latest science. For example, when people living with HIV are on treatment and maintain an undetectable viral load, they cannot transmit the virus, a fact referred to as Undetectable Equals Untransmittable, or U=U.

For a collection of criminalization articles in POZ, click the hashtag #Criminalization. And visit “2024 HIV and AIDS Awareness Days” to download a poster and learn about upcoming awareness days.

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• #Advocacy
• #awareness
• #Criminalization
• #Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation
• #HIV Is Not a Crime Awareness Day
• #Sero Project