65% of U.S. Gay Men Support HIV Criminalization

[Roon]

Sixty-five percent of gay men in the United States believe that it should be against the law for an HIV-positive man to engage in unprotected anal sex (UAI) without disclosing his status, according to a study published in AIDS Care and reported by aidsmap. Most gay men who supported criminalization laws were associated with an HIV-negative or unknown status, less education, younger age, residency in a state thought to be hostile toward LGBT people, and fewer UAI partners. Since 2008, at least 30 people have been prosecuted for exposing others to HIV. Researchers did not find that laws deterred high-risk behavior.
http://www.poz.com/articles/Gays_Support_Criminalization_1_19128.shtml

The link takes you to a website that is frank about aids.

[Not Me]

1. What's scary is the corollary...

that 35% do not believe that disclosure should be done.

[Bill McBlueState]

11. of the 35%,

Some may believe it should be disclosed, but the government shouldn't force disclosure.

[uncommon]

2. If a person knows that he/she is HIV positive, it absolutely should be criminal

for them to engage in sexual activity without disclosing it. Frankly the same should go for other STDs as well.

[raccoon]

5. ITA, but I betcha that rarely happens. nt

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

3. So, if you know you're HIV positive and you sleep around without disclosure...

that is not ILLEGAL??
Wow. That's terrible.

What possible defense or argument be against such a law?

[Evasporque]

4. The poll was conducted on gay men hiding in Utah, Montana and Wyoming

I call bullshit on this poll.

[girl gone mad]

6. I think it would lead to less testing..

which would be counterproductive.

Yes, it's unethical to knowingly expose someone, but this can't be the answer.

[Stevenmarc]

7. Sorry, this is a personal responsibility issue, you should assume that 100% are HIV+

Criminalization is nonsense, what purpose does it serve, the damage is done. As far as I'm concerned anyone I have sex with is HIV+ that way I don't have to depend on someone else being honest.

[meegbear]

9. +1

[Evasporque]

10. well put...I went sort of off below....nt

[Evasporque]

8. If you are having unprotected sex with a hookup you are fucking stupid....

It is your own damn fault if you contract HIV.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for your own health...not some tweaker trick you pickup and bearback some saturday night at a truck stop or the orgy in your little room at the bath house...or the hummer that turns into something more when on the down low...yes...graphic talk...but this is a fact of sex in the gay community. It is unabashed and pretty casual still...

When I came out...I treated everyone like they had HIV...in the gay community I KNOW, everyone is keenly aware of safe sex and all sex outside of a monogamous trusting partnership is done with a condom. No one balked that I whipped out a condom.

Holy crap...to criminalize someone with HIV who for what ever reason who does not disclose status goes down a road of tattooing a big negative or a plus sign on their forehead.

Each of us is responsible for our own health. if someone has the flu and goes to work sneezing on people and spreads the flu that kills the near retirement age co-worker...should we have a law on that too....go to work with H1N1 and your criminally liable...!!!!

WTF!!!!

The money spent to police such a law is better spent on education and making more condoms available....criminalization is such a republican answer it makes me want to PUKE!!!