Support HB632: End HIV Stigma in Pennsylvania
Prostitution is a misdemeanor in Pennsylvania and most states — yet Pennsylvania is one of nine states that still punish people living with HIV more harshly than others charged with prostitution.
Pennsylvania’s felony enhancement was enacted in 1995 and has never served an effective law enforcement purpose. In the 30 years since its enactment, it’s rarely been charged, and no credible research links harsher penalties for prostitution with a reduction in HIV transmission.
Over time, the Pennsylvania legislature, like that of most other states, has modernized its criminal code by removing stigmatizing references to HIV. This modernization follows guidance from the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association, and other professional organizations, based on the facts of how HIV is transmitted.
Only one reference to HIV in the Pennsylvania criminal code remains, and Pennsylvania House Bill 632 would remove it.
Pennsylvania has laws to punish those who harm others. Punishing people solely because they are living with HIV reinforces stigma, discourages people from getting tested and treated, and fuels the epidemic.
It’s time to remove stigma from the Pennsylvania criminal code.
How you can support HB632:
Ending HIV stigma is a nonpartisan issue. Testifiers (Andrea Johnson, Dr. Jay Kostman, Sean Strub, and Ronda Goldfein) spoke before the PA House Judiciary Committee on June 2, 2025 in support of HB632. You can watch a recording of the hearing here. HB632 would remove the last reference to HIV in the Pennsylvania Criminal Code. We need Democratic and Republican members to support it.
The Committee needs to hear from you. Please reach out to your representatives on the PA House Judiciary Committee. Tell them you are a constituent, you want to end HIV stigma, and you support HB632. You can see HB632’s co-sponsors here.
It’s particularly important that the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee who represent Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lycoming, Mercer, Somerset, Sullivan, Union, Washington, and York counties, hear from their constituents.
Resources in Support of Decriminalizing HIV:
- CSTE recommendations for modernization of laws to prevent HIV criminalization (Counsel of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, 2020): This report finds no association between HIV infection diagnosis rates and the presence of state laws criminalizing HIV exposure. These laws are associated with decreased HIV testing and increased HIV prevalence.
- Susquehanna Polling and Research poll (Sept. 2023): According to the poll, 76% of Pennsylvanians believe that current HIV laws should be modernized and updated, and 79% believe that people living with HIV should receive the health and treatment they need, rather than face criminal charges that discriminate and discourage proper testing, treatment, and disclosure.
- The Weight of Science: Decriminalizing HIV in Pennsylvania (2023): This report by the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the PA HIV Justice Alliance, outlines the ways in which people living with HIV are criminally punished in Pennsylvania for activity that would not be a crime but for their HIV status. HIV criminalization disregards science, is counterproductive to public health goals, and perpetuates stigma against people living with HIV.