In 2014 the South Australian (SA) and Western Australian (WA) parliaments passed legislation providing for forced testing for blood borne viruses (BBVs) of people who are considered to have potentially exposed police, hospital staff or emergency workers to a BBV. In both states, the laws were introduced following concerted advocacy on the part of police unions.
This article looks at what drove the introduction of these laws, discusses implementation issues, and proposes some policy solutions. Download the resource to learn more.