Cardiff, July 2005

In 2005 an unnamed woman, aged 20, from Newport, Wales, pleaded guilty to infecting her heterosexual partner (during attempts to become pregnant). She was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institute. Her identity was hidden to protect her child, who was subject to custody proceedings.

Interesting aspects of the case included the woman citing in her statement to the court transmission advice given to her by health staff (to the effect it was very difficult for a woman to infect a man) and that she didn’t know how to disclose her HIV status to her partner. Also, press reports carried a claim that, when challenged by her partner after the relationship ended, the woman produced doctored paperwork saying she had tested HIV negative.

This was the first prosecution in Wales, the first of a woman and, so far, the youngest case (she was 18 years old at the time of the offence).