their diagnosis, spreading the disease to new boyfriends. An additional 10 of Williams's sexual partners in New York City have been found to be HIV-positive, though it is unclear if Williams is the source of these infections, since New York's population makes it harder to track. Case impact His case received widespread media attention and ignited a debate over whether knowingly spreading HIV could be viewed as a crime as well as debates over the promiscuous sexuality of U.S. culture and the role of sex education in American high schools. Many stated that the maximum sentence Williams could receive was unduly light, leading then-New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to call for Williams to be tried for "attempted murder, or worse." The case also raised questions as to whether the state should continue to respect the anonymity of those who test positive for HIV. Prior to the Williams case, health officials believed that publicizing the names of HIV-positive individuals would result in a reduction in HIV testing and subject HIV-positive individuals, particularly members of the gay community, to increased social stigma. As a result of the Williams case, New York passed a law that mandated doctors and laboratories to report the names of individuals who test positive for HIV. Reporting of partners to physicians is voluntary, but doctors are mandated to report the names of any known partners to the NYS Department of Health. Partners may be notified without the permission of the patient, but the patient must be informed that their partners will be notified. Continued imprisonment In April 2010, New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo moved to block Williams' release from prison after 12 years and place him under civil confinement under a statute aimed at predatory sex offenders. A judge ordered him remanded to custody pending an outcome of a civil proceeding. By 2010, he had adopted the name Shyteek Johnson again. , he remains in civil commitment under Article 10 of New York's Mental Hygiene Law. References Further reading External links Nushawn Williams news archive at The New York Times People with HIV/AIDS African-American people Living people 1976 births Criminal transmission of HIV