October 6, 2018, Nina Feldman - WHYY
Lori has spent the last 30 years of her life earning her living as a sex worker.
She was forced into it by a drug dealer at the age of 15.
During that time, Lori – who WHYY agreed to identify using only her first name to protect her privacy – contracted HIV. She was prescribed antiretroviral medication and continued to do sex work, practicing safe sex. But Lori said word on the street was that having sex while HIV positive can carry felony charges.
While Pennsylvania does not have a specific law criminalizing sex while HIV positive as many states do, sex workers living with HIV face more serious charges than an HIV-negative person would for the same offense.
Lori was worried.