The Williams Institute examined arrest and court records from Indiana regarding people living with HIV (PLWH) who were prosecuted for an alleged HIV-related body fluid exposure crime. Indiana has six laws criminalizing PLWH spanning both the criminal and health codes. This report—one in a series examining HIV criminalization in Indiana—analyzes the enforcement of HIV-related body fluid/ waste penalty enhancements between 2012 and 2023.1 Almost all charges under these two statutes involved bodily fluids (such as saliva and urine) and conduct (such as spitting and coughing) that do not transmit HIV. None of the charges involved an allegation that HIV was actually transmitted.
Cisneros, Nathan, Carrie Foote, Jordan Grasso, Phoenix Schlebecker, and Brad Sears. 2025. Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Indiana: Body Fluid/Waste Enhancement Laws. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.
Jordan Grasso, PhD (they/them) 