39-13-109 - Criminal exposure to HIV Defenses Penalty. - Tennessee Statutes

39-13-109. Criminal exposure to HIV Defenses Penalty.

(a)  A person commits the offense of criminal exposure of another to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) when, knowing that the person is infected with HIV, the person knowingly:

     (1)  Engages in intimate contact with another;

     (2)  Transfers, donates, or provides blood, tissue, semen, organs, or other potentially infectious body fluids or parts for transfusion, transplantation, insemination, or other administration to another in any manner that presents a significant risk of HIV transmission; or

     (3)  Dispenses, delivers, exchanges, sells, or in any other way transfers to another any nonsterile intravenous or intramuscular drug paraphernalia.

(b)  As used in this section:

     (1)  “HIV” means the human immunodeficiency virus or any other identified causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome;

     (2)  “Intimate contact with another” means the exposure of the body of one person to a bodily fluid of another person in any manner that presents a significant risk of HIV transmission; and

     (3)  “Intravenous or intramuscular drug paraphernalia” means any equipment, product, or material of any kind that is peculiar to and marketed for use in injecting a substance into the human body.

(c)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section, which must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence, that the person exposed to HIV knew that the infected person was infected with HIV, knew that the action could result in infection with HIV, and gave advance consent to the action with that knowledge.

(d)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the actual transmission of HIV in order for a person to have committed the offense of criminal exposure of another to HIV.

(e)  Criminal exposure of another to HIV is a Class C felony.

[Acts 1994, ch. 952, § 2.]