New book explores HIV 'crimes'
http://uk.gay.com/headlines/11446
GAY.COM/PlanetOut.com Network
Wednesday 25 April, 2007

A ground-breaking new medico-legal book on the criminal transmission
of HIV has been published by NAM, the HIV information charity.
'Criminal HIV Transmission' contains all the medical, clinical,
social, epidemiological and forensic science of HIV transmission as it
relates to criminal law, written in clear, layperson's language.

In recent years there have been numerous criminal investigations, and
a growing number of convictions, for "reckless" transmission of HIV,
the implications of which have created considerable anxiety amongst
people living with HIV, and many of the professionals who work with
them.

The dramatic evolution of HIV treatments, as well as the stigma
associated with the virus, has led to a great deal of misunderstanding
about life with HIV, how and why the virus continues to be
transmitted, how HIV transmission can be 'proven', and other important
issues that relate to criminal HIV transmission.

This new book, aimed at individuals who work within, or who are in
contact with, the criminal justice system, attempts to correct this
misinformation by providing, according to South African Supreme Court
Justice, Edwin Cameron, "a meticulous overview of HIV-related medical
and social science, and law."

'Criminal HIV Transmission' was written and edited by AIDS Treatment
Update editor, Edwin J Bernard - who also recently co-authored a NAM/
National AIDS Trust briefing paper on HIV Forensics. It contains a
preface by Justice Cameron, who writes:

"I am pleased and proud to be writing the preface to this book. It
contains a tight, lucid, well-written and disciplined exposition of
the medical, scientific and social facts about HIV and AIDS."

The 100 page book is divided into four chapters:

'HIV in context' provides basic information on transmission, testing,
treatment, prognosis and life expectancy. It also provides background
information on life with HIV in 2007; the communities most affected by
HIV in the UK; and compares and contrasts HIV with other blood-borne
and/or sexually transmitted infections, including viral hepatitis.

'HIV and behaviour' elucidates further the social context of HIV
transmission by providing the reader with a working knowledge of how
individuals, at-risk communities and society as a whole are informed
about, interpret, and act upon sexual HIV risk-taking. This chapter
explains how HIV-related stigma and discrimination - both actual and
perceived - affect the acquisition and sharing of information about
HIV on an individual, community and societal level. It also shows how
and why the terms 'safer sex' and 'disclosure' can take many forms and
mean different things to different people.

'Sexual HIV transmission' provides a detailed overview of how HIV can
be transmitted sexually, and what factors increase or decrease the
likelihood of transmission. In addition, the latest information on the
risks of different types of sexual intercourse, condoms, HIV viral
load, circumcision, and other probable or possible factors is
summarised. The chapter also explains the difference between HIV
exposure and HIV transmission and points out the very real
difficulties of knowing when a person may have exposed someone to HIV,
and when a person has been infected with HIV.

The final chapter, 'HIV forensics', explains how evidence can be used
to prove or disprove the fact, timing and direction of sexual HIV
transmission. In particular, it shows how and why individual elements
of the scientific evidence collected during a criminal investigation
should only be seen as small pieces of a much larger puzzle. The
chapter covers virological evidence - notably phylogenetic analysis, a
complex scientific process that estimates how closely two or more HIV
strains are genetically related - as well as other aspects of the
medical histories of both the complainant and defendant.

The book is priced at £14.95 (£9.95 for voluntary organisations) and
can be obtained by contacting NAM on 020 7840 0050, fax: 0207 7355351,
or email: info@nam.org.uk info at nam.org.uk http://nam.org.uk
http://uk.gay.com/headlines/11446

Also available through your favorite college libraries or favorite
public libraries.

By Edwin J. Bernard
Criminal HIV Transmission by Edwin J. Bernard
NAM Publications, London 2007
http://nam.org.uk
ISBN 978-0-9551678-3-6
ISBN 9780955167836
NAM
Lincoln House
1 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6DE