Ohio advocates are planning the state's first Advocacy Day focused on modernizing HIV criminal laws, and the timing matters for anyone dating while living with HIV. On Tuesday, November 17, 2026, the Ohio Health Modernization Movement (OHMM) will gather at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to urge lawmakers to update six state laws that criminalize certain acts—including sex—for people living with HIV, or that raise sentences compared with people who do not have the virus. Those penalties can apply even when transmission is not scientifically possible, and in some situations the law also requires sex offender registration, according to reporting by The Buckeye Flame. Here's what the day is about, how Ohio compares with recent reform in Louisiana, and why disclosure laws still shape fear, stigma and dating conversations.

The short version

• What's happening: OHMM's first Advocacy Day is Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Supporters, people living with HIV, and health and criminal-justice experts will meet legislators and hear a lunch panel on why modernization is needed.
• What's at stake: Ohio still has six HIV-related criminal laws. A 2024 OHMM and Equality Ohio Education Fund study found at least 214 confirmed HIV-related prosecutions in Ohio from 2014 to 2020.
• Who is affected: The same research found that at least 36% of defendants identified as Black, and that 29% of all defendants (62 people) were Black men—showing a disproportionate impact on Black communities.
• Why dating readers should care: Disclosure and non-disclosure laws shape how people talk about status, when they feel safe disclosing, and how much stigma follows them into relationships. Laws vary by state; this post is general information, not legal advice.

What Ohio's HIV criminal laws do

According to The Buckeye Flame, Ohio's six laws either criminalize certain acts for people living with HIV or substantially increase sentences compared with people who do not have HIV. Penalties can apply regardless of whether the virus is or can be transmitted—and even in some cases where transmission is not scientifically possible. In some situations, the law also requires sex offender registration.

The Marshall Project, reporting with Buckeye Flame editor Ken Schneck in March 2024, describes how Ohio's felonious assault statute can be used when someone living with HIV does not disclose their status before sex. That reporting says a person can be prosecuted regardless of whether transmission occurred, whether condoms were used, or whether the person had an undetectable viral load—and that a conviction may require sex offender registration. The Marshall Project also notes that penalties for people living with HIV can be two to 29 times longer than for people without HIV under related rules, and that about 25,000 people were living with HIV in Ohio in 2022, according to the state health department.

The 2024 OHMM and Equality Ohio Education Fund study, as summarized by The Buckeye Flame, counted at least 214 confirmed HIV-related prosecutions in Ohio from 2014 to 2020: 120 under "harassment with a bodily substance," 77 under felonious assault, and 17 related to sex work. The Marshall Project's parallel reporting put the shares at about 56% harassment with a bodily substance, 36% felonious assault and 8% sex-work related, and noted that 35.9% of defendants identified as Black compared with 12.5% of Ohio's population in the 2020 Census.

Republican Rep. Sara Carruthers proposed modernization bills in 2024, but they did not make it past a first reading, The Buckeye Flame reports. OHMM steering committee member Josh Meek told the outlet that advocates have been inspired by policy wins in North Dakota, Maryland and Louisiana and believe the environment is right for Ohio to move too.

What Advocacy Day looks like

Advocacy Day on Nov. 17 is designed as both lobbying and education. The Buckeye Flame says supporters, people living with HIV, and experts in health policy and criminal justice will meet in groups with elected officials. A catered lunch will include a speakers panel on the need for HIV decriminalization. Meek noted that for some legislators, it may be the first time they knowingly meet someone living with HIV.

Organizers have also offered prep sessions ahead of the day, including a virtual "Advocacy Day Q&A: What to Know Before You Go" on November 9 at 6 p.m. Details and registration are available through OHMM via the Buckeye Flame coverage linked above. The goal is legislation that modernizes the outdated laws; advocates have said both Democrats and Republicans have shown interest in talking about penalties they see as excessive.

Louisiana's May 2026 reform: a contrast

While Ohio is still organizing for change, Louisiana already moved. On May 15, 2026, Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 808 into law; it took effect August 1, 2026, and amends Louisiana's exposure statute, La.R.S. 14:43.5, according to the Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP).

CHLP reports that HB808:

• Limits prosecutions to conduct with a "substantial likelihood of transmission."
• Excludes conduct that poses only a negligible, theoretical or medically unrecognized risk of HIV transmission.
• Creates an affirmative defense for people living with HIV who disclose their status and maintain an undetectable viral load.
• Was the first HIV criminalization reform in the South to pass both legislative chambers unanimously.

CHLP is clear that HIV exposure remains criminalized in Louisiana, and that advocates still want further reform. The contrast for Ohio readers is simple: modernization is possible, and science-based limits on when the criminal law applies are already in force in at least one Southern state.

Why this matters for dating, disclosure and U=U

Disclosure laws do not just live in statute books. They shape how people living with HIV decide when—and whether—it feels safe to talk about status with someone they are dating. Fear of prosecution, stigma or being labeled a sex offender can chill honest conversations, even in relationships built on care and consent. Our guide to HIV disclosure laws by state explains why the rules differ so widely, and our piece on how to tell someone you have HIV focuses on timing, honesty and respect—not pressure.

Science has moved further than many of these older laws. People with HIV who take antiretroviral treatment as prescribed and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to partners—the foundation of U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). When a criminal law ignores condoms, treatment and viral load, it can punish people who are protecting their partners by modern public-health standards. That gap between science and statute is exactly what Ohio advocates say they want lawmakers to close.

Stigma compounds the legal fear. Being treated as a public threat rather than a person in care makes dating harder, especially for people who are newly diagnosed or returning to dating. Our article on why HIV stigma still exists and our guide to dating with HIV as a straight man both speak to rebuilding confidence without minimizing real legal and social pressures. Safe-dating basics still apply for everyone: meet new matches in public, verify who they are, go at your own pace, and remember that consent includes space for hard conversations.

Quick FAQ

Is Advocacy Day only for people living with HIV?
No. The Buckeye Flame describes it as a day for supporters, people living with HIV, and experts in health policy and criminal justice to meet legislators and learn together.

Do Ohio's HIV laws ignore U=U?
Reporting from The Marshall Project says Ohio's felonious assault non-disclosure pathway can apply regardless of whether someone had an undetectable viral load, used condoms or transmitted HIV. That is a central reason advocates want modernization. This is a description of published reporting, not a legal opinion about any specific case.

Did Louisiana fully repeal its HIV exposure law?
No. CHLP says HB808 narrowed the law and added defenses, but HIV exposure remains criminalized there, and advocates want further change.

Does this post tell me what I must disclose where I live?
No. Laws vary by state, and only a licensed attorney who knows your jurisdiction and facts can advise you. Use our state-by-state disclosure overview as a starting point for questions—not as a substitute for legal counsel.

The bottom line

Ohio's first HIV law-reform Advocacy Day on Nov. 17 puts a spotlight on six outdated criminal statutes that have already led to hundreds of prosecutions—often without regard to actual transmission risk. Louisiana's 2026 reform shows that science-aligned updates are politically possible. For people dating with HIV, the stakes are personal: disclosure laws shape stigma, safety and how honestly partners can talk about status. If you're looking for a community that understands life with HIV or another STI, explore HIV dating on MeetPositives.

Sources

• Ken Schneck, The Buckeye Flame. "HIV decriminalization supporters to hold first-ever Advocacy Day at Ohio Statehouse." September 22, 2026.
• Rachel Dissell and Ken Schneck, The Marshall Project. "Ohio Is Among 34 States That Criminalize People Living With HIV. Who Gets Prosecuted?" March 13, 2024.
• Center for HIV Law and Policy. "Louisiana Enacts Significant Reform of HIV Exposure Law." June 2, 2026. (HB808 / Act 177; signed May 15, 2026; effective Aug. 1, 2026.)
• Ohio Health Modernization Movement and Equality Ohio Education Fund. 2024 study of HIV-related prosecutions in Ohio, 2014–2020 (as reported by The Buckeye Flame and The Marshall Project).

This article is for general information only and is not medical or legal advice. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Talk with a licensed health care provider about your own situation. Laws vary by state; for legal questions, talk with a licensed attorney.