HIV & Blood Products

HIV & Blood Products

Since November 1985, all blood products in Canada are checked for HIV. A person’s risk of getting infected from a blood transfusion in Canada is extremely low.

There is no chance of getting HIV from donating blood.

HIV & the Law

If you have HIV, you have a legal duty to tell your sex partner(s) before having any kind of sex that could put them at “significant risk” of getting HIV.

• The law is not completely clear on what “significant risk” means. It is clear, however, that unprotected vaginal or anal sex is considered to pose a “significant risk” of HIV transmission.
• People with HIV have been convicted of serious crimes for not telling their sex partners they have HIV (not disclosing their status) before having unprotected vaginal or anal sex.
• The law is not clear about whether people with HIV must disclose their status before having sex using a condom or before having oral sex (without a condom).

For more information on HIV and the law, contact the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. It may be able to refer you to a lawyer but cannot provide you with legal advice.