RESUMEN
This article provides summaries of the six presentations made during the panel. Stéphanie Claviaz-Loranger gives an overview of the recent developments in Canadian law since R v. Cuerrier. Barry Adam discusses views of people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) with respect to the criminalization of HIV transmission and exposure. Shannon Thomas Ryan discusses the racialized nature of criminalization. Eric Mykhalovskiy explains the available policy options for Ontario concerning criminalization, and calls on the Ministry of the Attorney General to establish a consultation process to inform the development of policy and practice memoranda. Glenn Betteridge discusses the development and work of the Ontario Prosecutorial Guidelines Campaign. Finally, Lisa Power presents the experience of England and Wales with regard to HIV criminalization.
Asunto(s)
Derecho Penal , Infecciones por VIH/transmisión , Autorrevelación , Humanos , Ontario , Grupos de Población , EstereotipoRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: HIV-positive injection drug users (IDU) often do not derive the full benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Among IDU, recent incarceration has been associated with discontinuation of HAART for non-clinical reasons. We sought to qualitatively evaluate experiences with HAART among HIV-positive IDU who had been recently incarcerated within provincial prisons in British Columbia in order to identify factors influencing adherence to treatment. METHODS: Twelve in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with males recruited from a cohort study (ACCESS) involving over 450 HIV-positive IDU. All participants had been incarcerated after initiating HAART. Audio-recorded interviews were conducted to examine experiences of taking HAART in prison, with particular attention to adherence and experiences of treatment discontinuation. FINDINGS: Participant accounts described situations where adherence to HIV treatment was compromised in custody. A small number of participants reported treatment interruptions that lasted over a week when they were unable to obtain HIV medications through institutional healthcare. Short-term interruptions in treatment were said to be common during intake into the correctional system and at the point of release from custody. High levels of HIV discrimination motivate prisoners to hide the fact that they are HIV-positive by making efforts to take medications discreetly, which may result in missed doses. CONCLUSIONS: The current study identified contextual factors within correctional environments that hinder individuals' ability to adhere to HAART. These findings also indicate that improved health services and coordination with community care providers are needed to enhance the quality of HIV treatment within correctional environments.
Asunto(s)
Terapia Antirretroviral Altamente Activa/psicología , Infecciones por VIH/tratamiento farmacológico , Cooperación del Paciente/psicología , Prisioneros , Adulto , Estudios de Cohortes , Comunicación , Infecciones por VIH/psicología , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Defensa del Paciente , Prejuicio , Abuso de Sustancias por Vía Intravenosa/psicologíaAsunto(s)
Seropositividad para VIH , Policia , Autorrevelación , Coerción , Humanos , Masculino , Parejas Sexuales , Sexo InseguroRESUMEN
In December 2006, the House of Commons Subcommittee on Solicitation Laws released its longawaited report on the criminal laws related to prostitution in Canada, entitled The Challenge of Change: A Study of Canada's Criminal Prostitution Laws. The Subcommittee's report fails to call for amendments to the Criminal Code provisions which have been demonstrated to increase the health and safety threats faced by sex workers. The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and two sex worker organizations, Stella and Maggie's, jointly published an analysis of the report.
Asunto(s)
Derechos Humanos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Trabajo Sexual , Canadá , HumanosRESUMEN
As reported in the last issue of the Review, effective 30 September 2006 the Canadian federal government terminated the pilot safer tattooing initiative which had been operating in six prisons.1 A draft of the evaluation report, obtained under access to information laws, detailed positive outcomes, constraints and enhancements to address implementation issues and cost-effectiveness of the initiative.
Asunto(s)
Transmisión de Enfermedad Infecciosa/prevención & control , Tatuaje/efectos adversos , Estudios de Evaluación como Asunto , Humanos , Proyectos PilotoRESUMEN
In April 2006, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) provided a report to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) regarding the potential risks and benefits of introducing needle exchange programs in Canadian federal prisons (PNEPs). The PHAC report concludes that while definitive data concerning the impact of PNEPs on the transmission of blood-borne pathogens among prisoners does not exist, such programs have resulted in a decrease in behaviours which risk transmission and have not threatened prison safety or security.
Asunto(s)
Agencias Gubernamentales , Programas de Intercambio de Agujas , Prisiones/organización & administración , Administración en Salud Pública , Canadá , HumanosRESUMEN
In December 2006, the Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006 passed third reading in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. When this new Act comes into force, it will replace the existing administrative system for forced blood testing, currently operating under Ontario's public health law. Responsibility for forced blood testing will shift from the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to the Minister of Community Safety and Corrections.
Asunto(s)
Patógenos Transmitidos por la Sangre/aislamiento & purificación , Exámenes Obligatorios/legislación & jurisprudencia , Serodiagnóstico del SIDA/legislación & jurisprudencia , Hepatitis B/diagnóstico , Hepatitis C/diagnóstico , Humanos , OntarioRESUMEN
On 10 November 2006, in a precedent-setting case, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an application by a Mexican national to remain in Canada as a "person in need of protection" under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The principal issue before the Court was whether the IRPA excludes from protection people who face a risk to life if returned to their home country, where the risk arises from the fact the government does not provide affordable medical treatment.
Asunto(s)
Refugiados , Canadá , Humanos , México/etnologíaRESUMEN
By statement of claim dated 18 April 2005, a Windsor woman is suing a man she alleges infected her with HIV. She is also suing the Windsor Police Service and the man's family.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por VIH/transmisión , Policia , Sexo Inseguro , Adolescente , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , OntarioRESUMEN
Four recent developments highlight that people continue to face significant legal and administrative barriers to using marijuana for medical purposes--despite the existence of the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR), enacted by the federal government, as a result of court rulings, to enable people who require marijuana for medical purposes to exercise their constitutional right to such medicine.
Asunto(s)
Cannabis , Jurisprudencia , Fitoterapia , Colombia Británica , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
Two recently published articles report on the positive impact of Insite on drug use among people who inject drugs.
Asunto(s)
Centros Comunitarios de Salud , Abuso de Sustancias por Vía Intravenosa , Colombia Británica , Humanos , Compartición de AgujasRESUMEN
In December 2005, the Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction Network (CEEHRN) released a report calling for the decriminalization of sex work in the 27 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEE/CA). The report brings together a wealth of published and original information concerning sex work, laws regulating sex work, epidemiological data regarding HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), services available to sex workers, and human rights abuses faced by sex workers.