NORFOLK, Va. — Police charged an HIV-positive woman for biting an officer.
The incident sparked questions about how HIV is transmitted and if disclosing the woman's status is relevant, or if it violates HIPAA guidelines.
Irma Hinkle of LGBT Life Center said the incident is an opportunity to talk about the stigma associated with HIV.
She noted there's still some misinformation surrounding HIV.
"Saliva is considered is a very low or non-existent way for HIV to be transmitted," Hinkle said. "HIV is not casually spread. You really have to do specific things to put yourself in contact with HIV."
Police arrested Latasha Davis-Wiggins for public intoxication on March 23rd. Officers said she became combative and bit an officer on the forearm, drawing blood.
Police said she also received a cut on her head before authorities transported her to the hospital.
A doctor working with Davis-Wiggins told police officers she was HIV positive.
Police filed an affidavit for a search warrant for Davis-Wiggins medical records to determine if she knew her status at the time she bit the police officer.
"I can only speculate, in that situation, that the doctor felt that there was some duty to warn, but I think that’s questionable," Hinkle said. "Knowing what we know about how HIV is transmitted, in a situation with a bite, there is low to non-existent risk for that person to get infected."
Hinkle said although there are still inaccuracies floating around, these days more people are educated about the ways in which HIV is spread.
“It’s typically through sexual contact, sharing needles, or a mother could potentially pass it to her child,” she said.
When it comes to doctors making a person's HIV status know, Hinkle pointed to HIPAA guidelines, explaining healthcare providers can disclose if it will improve the care of the patient.
“So a doctor disclosing to another doctor in order to improve the care of that patient who may be being transferred from one practice to another,” she said.
Police are charging Davis-Wiggins with Malicious Bodily Injury to a Law Enforcement Officer.