Podcast Episode: HIV is not a crime - From HIV Unmuted Produced by International AIDS Society
In this episode of HIV Unmuted, the International AIDS Society examines the global impact of HIV criminalization through the lived experiences of people directly affected by punitive laws.
The episode features three stories of injustice and survival:
Edwin Cameron, reflecting on his role as South Africa’s first public figure to speak openly about living with HIV and his lifelong advocacy for decriminalization
A Malawian mother, known as EL, whose imprisonment for allegedly breastfeeding another woman’s baby is described by her lawyer, Wesley Mwafulirwa
Robert Suttle, sharing how HIV criminalization following a personal relationship led to imprisonment and lifelong registration as a sex offender in the United States
Presented as a collection of global narratives, the episode illustrates how HIV criminal laws—despite overwhelming scientific evidence—continue to produce fear, stigma, and lasting harm across diverse contexts.
This entry is preserved as part of the Lived Experience Archive to document testimony already shared publicly and to ensure that personal narratives inform—but do not substitute for—systems analysis and policy reform work.
Archive Note:
This material is archived to document lived experience already shared publicly. Current inquiries should focus on systems analysis, policy strategy, and structural reform.
