Experts fear landmark genital herpes court ruling might backfire

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAn Australian man has been convicted for giving genital herpes to a sexual partner (Getty/iStock)A man in Canberra has been convicted for transmitting genital herpes to a sexual partner, marking Australia's first such prosecution. He pleaded guilty to “recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm” and was given a 13-month sentence under a community correction order. The man, diagnosed with HSV-2 in 2020, failed to disclose his status to a partner in 2023, resulting in her acquiring the virus. He claimed he feared sexual rejection and believed he was not contagious without symptoms, though the virus can be transmitted asymptomatically. Public health experts argue that criminalising STI transmission is problematic, potentially discouraging testing and treatment, and sets an unhelpful legal precedent. In fullMan convicted for spreading genital herpes to sexual partner in an Australian firstThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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