The Tennessee government has agreed to remove dozens of people from its sex offender registry who were convicted of prostitution while having HIV. Lawsuits challenged Tennessee’s “aggravated prostitution” laws, which made prostitution a felony for those who are HIV-positive. Most affected individuals are in Memphis, where the statute was often used against Black and transgender women. The Department of Justice joined the challenge, arguing that the law does not consider evolving science on HIV transmission or prevention methods like condom use. A settlement requires Tennessee to review and potentially remove those added to the registry solely because of aggravated prostitution convictions.
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Tennessee Agrees To Remove Sex Workers With HIV From Sex Offender Registry
