Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco – Civil rights and health advocacy groups in Puerto Vallarta are calling for immediate action after revealing that sensitive personal and medical information about people living with HIV was shared without informed consent. The data, reportedly provided by the director of the municipal agency COMUSIDA, was passed to a private university for an academic survey—allegedly under the guise of anonymity—without the knowledge or permission of the affected individuals.
The leak came to light when a COMUSIDA user was contacted by a university student to complete a survey. The individual had never authorized the disclosure of their HIV status or other personal data. When questioned, the student said she received the information directly from Leticia Enedina López Moreno, director of COMUSIDA, who had approved her administering the questionnaire, citing a staffing time shortage at the agency.
Organizations denounce disclosure
Several local organizations—Círculo Rojo, PrEP Vallarta, IncluY, and MOVii—have publicly denounced the disclosure. They say the agreement with the private university did not justify sharing confidential medical diagnoses without informed consent, even if the survey was claimed to be anonymous. The groups emphasized that no rationale permits the release of personal health information in this way.
Privacy advocates argue the breach cuts across multiple legal protections. The unauthorized disclosure violates provisions of the Mexican Constitution, the General Law on the Protection of Personal Data, the General Health Law, and international treaties that safeguard the privacy and dignity of people living with HIV.
The signatory organizations have laid out a list of immediate demands aimed at containing the damage, preventing recurrence, and holding responsible parties to account. They want: an immediate administrative investigation; cancellation of all agreements between COMUSIDA and the university involved; the dismissal of those responsible—particularly director Leticia Enedina López Moreno; the creation and enforcement of strict data protection protocols; and symbolic reparations for those affected.
“Informed consent is not optional,” the organizations stressed, adding that privacy is essential to the safety and dignity of historically vulnerable groups, including people with HIV.
The revelation has raised broader concerns about how municipal health programs handle confidential patient data and the safeguards—or lack thereof—around third-party partnerships. Civil society leaders warn that trust in public health services erodes quickly when disclosures of this nature occur, potentially driving people away from testing, treatment, and preventive services.
As of the latest available reporting on July 31, 2025, it is unclear whether the municipal government or COMUSIDA has initiated any public corrective steps, responded to the demands, or opened the requested investigation. The groups’ call for accountability puts pressure on local authorities to act swiftly before further damage to community trust and rights occurs.
Legal and human rights stakes
The unauthorized sharing of health information, especially concerning HIV status, carries not only legal implications but also profound social consequences. Disclosure without consent can lead to stigma, discrimination, and psychological harm. International human rights frameworks recognize the right to health and privacy, and the involved organizations cite those protections alongside national law to frame this as a rights violation, not merely an administrative lapse.
The affected advocacy groups are watching for a formal response from COMUSIDA and the municipal government. Their demands set a clear checklist for what they consider necessary steps to begin repair: investigation, severed unauthorized data channels, institutional accountability, and preventative protocols. Whether those demands will translate into policy reform or personnel changes remains to be seen.
COMUSIDA, Puerto Vallarta, HIV privacy, data leak, human rights, Mexican Constitution, health law, informed consent
