Ohio HIV laws must catch up with science and society: Barbara Gripshover and Ann Avery Updated Mar 14, 2021; Posted Mar 14, 2021 At MetroHealth's Project DAWN naloxone and needle dispensary on West 25th St. in Cleveland, clients can also be tested for HIV and hepatitis C. Infectious disease specialists argue Ohio's outdated HIV laws actually contribute to HIV spread by discouraging testing at a time when HIV can be treated, preventing transmission. Facebook Share By Guest Columnist, cleveland.com CLEVELAND -- Ohioans with HIV live in the long shadow of an ugly legal relic of the 1990s. Ohio’s HIV-specific laws, first enacted in 1996, are unscientific, unproductive and unjust. It is time that these laws are modernized to reflect accurate science, good public health policy and justice for an unfairly stigmatized group of Ohio citizens.