ride at your own risk
people with HIV are being demonized (again. er, um maybe still.) recently, south dakota’s governor signed a bill that requires people convicted of intentionally spreading HIV to register as sex offenders. abroad in australia, prosecutors are demanding an HIV-infected male prostitute to be on sex offenders registry.
this is appaling for many reasons. first and foremost, i subscribe to the C.Y.A. philosophy. Cover Your Ass. people - if you are engaging in any sort of sexual activity where your skin or fluids might come into contact with your sex partner, it is your responsibilty to take the proper precautions. one should proceed as though everyone has some sort of infection. you just never know.
secondly, how can we prosecute someone who “intentionally” spreads HIV to another? where’s the proof of intentionality? there is great likelihood of some serious he said-she said business going on. “he said he was clean.” “i told him i had the virus.” blah blah blah.
also, why should HIV-infected individuals be held to a higher standard than other folks? how bout men who go ’round makin’ babies and bailin’ on their baby’s mommas so that she has to work 3 jobs to take care of her kids and since she works so much her children act out by robbin’ the corner deli and end up in jail?! (yes that’s a run on - but that’s how rapidly it progresses people.) or what about the women who “trap” their men by claiming to be on the pill so that she can have his baby so that she can dress him in designer clothes even though she can’t pay her cell phone bill and lives with her grandma?!
please don’t get me wrong. i am not trying to make light of the seriousness of HIV transmission. and my heart goes out to anyone who contracts the virus from a secretive partner. but we can’t go around blaming others for our lapse in judgement. what next? blaming wives for their husband’s infidelity?
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