Association of HIV diagnosis rates and laws criminalizing HIV exposure in the United States.

Objective: To assess whether state criminal exposure laws are associated with HIV and stage 3 (AIDS) diagnosis rates in the United States.

Design: We assessed the relationship between HIV and stage 3 (AIDS) diagnosis data from the National HIV Surveillance System and the presence of a state criminal exposure law as identified through WestlawNext by using generalized estimating equations.

Methods: We limited analysis to persons aged at least 13 years with diagnosed HIV infection or AIDS reported to the National HIV Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

State Laws Governing HIV Testing in Correctional Settings.

At the end of 2010, 1.5% of inmates in state prisons were known to be HIV positive, a prevalence rate approximately 3 times that of the general population of the United States. Increased HIV testing in correctional settings has the potential to identify previously undiagnosed infections.