LGBT
In reply to the discussion: Should HIV non-disclosure be a crime? [View all]beyurslf
(6,755 posts)Last edited Tue Dec 13, 2011, 12:11 AM - Edit history (2)
It should be criminal to have unprotected sex with someone if you know you are + and should not matter if you have informed your partner. I know someone here who infected his boyfriend because his boyfriend wanted to go through the disease with him!
However, if you are using protection, disclosure should not be legally required. I am HIV+ and I would never want to be required by law to disclose my status. If I practice safe sex, why should I be required by law to do so? To whom else should I be required to disclose, if the only factor is the possibility of transmission? If I get a paper cut at work, should I disclose to those around me? If I am in an auto accident, should I disclose to those at the scene? The idea that we should always treat any bodily fluid as infected has long been standard practice. The same is true for sex with strangers--you should treat them all as if they are infected. The disease has plenty of stigma. Creating laws to that criminalize non-disclosure only pushes it further into the closet.