Two More South Dakota Men Charged With Knowingly Spreading HIV
Two South Dakota men have been arrested on charges that they "intentionally" infected their sex partners with HIV, bringing the total number of South Dakota men arrested on such charges to three, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports. Jay Woods, 41, faces three counts of "potentially spreading HIV to unknowing partners," while William Jenigen, 35, faces three similar counts. Both men have pleaded not guilty and trial dates have not been set. The two arrests are not related to the charges against Nikko Briteramos, a SiTanka Huron University student charged with knowingly exposing a woman to HIV. A 2000 South Dakota law makes it a felony to "knowingly expose others to HIV without their consent," and the three men are the first to be charged under the law. South Dakota has recorded 11 new HIV infections this year, putting it "on pace" to top the 22 infections reported in 2001. According to the state health department, South Dakota has not registered more than 30 new HIV infections in one year since 1995. The Argus Leader reports that the three arrests have heightened concerns about HIV transmission in South Dakota, which, along with North Dakota, reports the lowest number of HIV infections in the country (Dobbs, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 5/12).
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