Prisoners accused of assaulting guards in Western Australia will be forced to undergo testing for HIV and other infectious diseases under proposed laws.

HIV advocates say plans to forcibly test prisoners in Western Australia for the disease perpetuate stigma and overlook critical facts.

A bill to amend WA's Prisons Act will return to parliament's upper house on Tuesday.

Under the proposed legislation, prisoners accused of assaulting prison officers will be forced to undergo testing for HIV and other infectious diseases.

The state government says the change will lift the burden on correctional officers by having prisoners, rather than the officers, undergo the testing.

Prisoners who refuse to comply face a $3000 fine or an extra six months on top of their sentence.

The new laws also cover instances where an officer has come into contact with a prisoner's bodily fluids.

West Australian AIDS Council president Asanka Gunasekera, who wants the bill referred to a parliamentary committee, says it is misleading to associate HIV transmission with bodily fluid exposure because the virus is not transmitted through saliva.

He also disputes the government's claim that prison officers currently face a three-month wait to know if they have contracted HIV.

"The truth is that modern tests pick up the presence of HIV within six days of exposure. Rapid tests provide highly accurate results within fifteen minutes," he said.

"HIV thrives on stigma and misinformation. These laws inflame that problem and hinder our prevention efforts.

"Marginalised communities such as gay and bisexual men, people who inject drugs, and sex workers will be less likely to seek a test for HIV when they see it associated with criminality."