International resources

AIDSLEX (the AIDS and Law Exchange), an initiative of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and its partners, is a web portal containing a wide range of resources in English, French, Spanish and Russian about HIV, human rights and the law. It provides:

• an e-library containing a searchable database of documents many of which relate to the criminalisation of HIV exposure or transmission.

• a 'people connector' that links people around the world working on legal and human rights issues related to HIV.

• a discussions forum for registered users to begin or add to conversations about HIV and human rights issues, including the criminalision of potential or actual HIV exposure or transmission.

Visit AIDSLEX (www.aidslex.org) to read and to share documents relating to the criminalision of potential or actual HIV exposure or transmission.

Criminal HIV Transmission, an initiative by Edwin Bernard since 2007, is a blog that provides reports and analysis on individual cases of potential or actual HIV exposure or transmission from around the globe as they happen. The blog also reports on the impact of, and responses to, criminalisation.

Visit Criminal HIV Transmission (criminalhivtransmission.blogspot.com) to keep up to date with the latest developments in your own local jurisdiction and across the world, as well as to share information by alerting the author to media reports of arrests and prosecutions as well as advocacy initiatives.

The Global Criminalisation Scan, an initiative of the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) and its partners, is the main source of data of global laws and prosecutions, as well as information on organisations working on HIV and the criminal law. It aims to:

• collect and keep up-to-date information on national- or state-level laws criminalising the transmission of, or exposure to, HIV transmission.

• provide an easily accessible ‘clearing-house’ of resources, research and initiatives on the subject.

• provide a platform for advocacy initiatives.

Visit the Global Criminalisation Scan website (www.gnpplus.net/criminalisation) to learn more about laws and responses in specific countries and jurisdictions, and also to share new information about laws and cases. A report based on the Global Criminalisation Scan is also available from the Global Criminalisation Scan website.

Originally a quarterly, the HIV/AIDS Policy & Law Review is now published twice yearly by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. It provides analysis and summaries of current developments in HIV-related policy and law, including reports and analysis of Canadian and international cases of criminal HIV exposure or transmission. Visit the HIV/AIDS Policy & Law Review section of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network website (www.aidslaw.ca/review) where all issues from January 1995 onwards are available, fully searchable and downloadable.

An initiative of NAM, HIV & AIDS services worldwide is the most comprehensive listing of HIV-related services in the world, featuring more than 2300 key agencies in 189 countries. This includes organisations that work in the areas of advocacy/rights as well as legal organisations providing legal assistance. Fully searchable listings are available via www.aidsmap.com. A hard copy of the directory is available to purchase from NAM.

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations family, bringing together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organisations in the AIDS response to help the world prevent new HIV infections, care for people living with HIV and mitigate the impact of the epidemic. UNAIDS have provided funding for this resource as part of its human rights and law work, within the UNAIDS Outcome Framework priority-action area on removing punitive laws, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination that block effective responses to HIV. Further information about UNAIDS' and co-sponsors' publications, policy and guidance on the criminalisation of HIV exposure or transmission can be found on UNAIDS' website.