Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - October 22, 2008
The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, in a reversal of policy, refused to aid prosecutors in the case, the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyra reported Wednesday.
Under current law, a person with HIV can be sentenced to 10 years in prison on assault charges if they knowingly have unprotected sex with another person.
"It is now our view that spreading HIV should not be classified as an offense," Jan Albert, head physician of the institute, told TT. "It is as much the responsibility of the individual person to understand that unprotected sex involves risk."
Institute Director Ragnar Norrby says the criminalization of HIV has made preventive work more difficult.
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