Since 2010, HIV-positive sex workers in Tennessee have been required to register for life on the state's sex offender registry. However, under a lawsuit settlement released last week, Tennessee officials have agreed to reverse course and begin notifying affected individuals that they can now be removed from the registry.
In 1991, Tennessee passed an "aggravated prostitution" law, making it a felony to sell sex while being knowingly HIV-positive. In 1995, when the state introduced a sex offender registry, those convicted of aggravated prostitution were forced to register. However, things got worse in 2010, when the crime was reclassified as a "violent sexual offense," meaning that those convicted would face lifetime registration.
