Robert Suttle has seen firsthand the legal risks of having HIV.
In 2008, Suttle said, a former partner accused him of not disclosing he was HIV-positive. He was charged under Louisiana law with “intentional exposure to AIDS virus.” Rather than fight the charge and risk a longer sentence, Suttle pleaded guilty, received a sentence of six months in state prison, and was required to register as a sex offender.
“You can be criminalized, certainly, for existing as a person living with HIV,” he said.
