Iowa legal term
Significant exposure in Iowa Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Iowa legislative session
In Iowa criminal law, “Significant exposure” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Iowa criminal code.
What does “Significant exposure” mean in Iowa criminal law?
“Significant exposure” means contact of the victim’s ruptured or broken skin or mucous membranes with the blood or bodily fluids, other than tears, saliva, or perspiration of the convicted or alleged offender. “Significant exposure” is presumed to have occurred when there is a showing that there was penetration of the convicted or alleged offender’s penis into the victim’s vagina or anus, contact between the mouth and genitalia, or contact between the genitalia of the convicted or alleged offender and the genitalia or anus of the victim. 12. “Victim” means a petitioner or a person who is the v (Iowa Code § 915.40)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.