Abdul El-Sayed pushes to scrap Michigan law criminalizing undisclosed HIV status

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, is again advocating for the repeal of a state law that makes it a felony for HIV-positive individuals to have sex without informing their partners. He first raised the issue while running for governor in 2018, describing the statute as hateful and discriminatory. The 1988 law, which carried up to four years in prison, was amended in early 2019 to limit felony charges to cases of intentional transmission and to downgrade other offenses.

El-Sayed, a former health director for Wayne County, says he will continue to fight against policies that stigmatize disease and support the bipartisan reform that passed in 2019. His campaign cites his public-health background and recent endorsement from the Human Rights Campaign as evidence of his commitment to LGBTQ and health equity. The Senate race pits him against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in a contest seen as crucial for Democratic control of the chamber. El-Sayed also promotes Medicare for All and has voiced criticism of ICE and U.S. policy toward Israel.