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A Raleigh man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly removed an IV from his arm and sprayed his HIV-positive blood on several hospital employees. The incident, which occurred in September 2025 at a Raleigh-area hospital, has brought renewed attention to laws that criminalize actions by people living with HIV.
According to reports from multiple news outlets, the patient was receiving treatment when he became agitated, pulled out his intravenous line, and deliberately flung blood at staff members, with some landing in their eyes. He was subsequently arrested and charged with malicious conduct by a prisoner or person with an infectious disease. Details reported by local news outlet WRAL state that the man was undergoing psychiatric and medical treatment at the time of the incident.
While the act is alarming, the actual risk of HIV transmission from such an exposure is low. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that HIV is primarily transmitted through specific activities like sexual contact or sharing needles. Transmission via blood splashing into an eye is possible but rare. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication, if started within 72 hours, is highly effective at preventing the virus from taking hold.
This case falls under the purview of HIV-specific criminal laws, which exist in over 30 U.S. states. These statutes often impose severe penalties for behaviors by people with HIV that pose little to no risk of transmission. Critics argue many of these laws are outdated and do not align with the current scientific understanding of HIV, which has advanced significantly. Studies have shown that many prosecutions under these laws involve actions like spitting, which cannot transmit HIV. The incident in Raleigh, however, involved direct exposure to blood, a fluid that can transmit the virus, placing it in a more severe legal category. The case continues as the affected workers undergo medical monitoring and the defendant awaits legal proceedings.
