the intention to transmit HIV, and does in fact transmit it . UNAIDS also recommends that criminal law should not be applied to cases where there is no significant risk of transmission. (13) In 2010, the Federal Government released the first ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), which addressed HIV-specific criminal laws, stating: While we understand the intent behind these laws, they may not have the desired effect and they may make people less willing to disclose their status by making people feel at even greater risk of discrimination. In some cases, it may be appropriate for legislators to reconsider whether existing laws continue to further the public interest and public health. In many instances, the continued existence and enforcement of these types of laws run counter to scientific evidence about routes of HIV transmission and may undermine the public health goals of promoting HIV screening and treatment. . The NHAS also states that State legislatures should consider reviewing HIV-specific criminal statutes to ensure that they are consistent with current knowledge of HIV transmission and support public health approaches to preventing and treating HIV. (14) The Global Commission on HIV and the Law was launched in June 2010 to examine laws and practices that criminalize people living with and vulnerable to HIV and to develop evidence-based recommendations for effective HIV responses. The Commission calls for governments, civil society and international bodies to repeal punitive laws and enact laws that facilitate and enable effective responses to HIV prevention, care and treatment services for all who need them . The Commission recommends against the enactment of laws that explicitly criminalize HIV transmission, exposure or non-disclosure of HIV status, which are counterproductive . (15) In February 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America,” a new initiative with an ambitious goal to end the domestic HIV epidemic in ten years by