The Criminalization of Knowingly Transmitting AIDS :: Health Medicine

Table of ContentsBrief history of back up and the criminalization of wittingly transmitting it.......................................3Interviews concerning the issue............................4Reasons for the criminalization of knowingly transmitting AIDS..................................................5Reasons against the criminalization of knowingly transmitting AIDS.....................................7My position and conclusion.................................8Brief History of AIDS and the Criminalization of Knowingly Transmitting It Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the human beingImmunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The virus was discoverd independently inFrance in 1983 and in the United States in 1984. In the United States, itwas initially identified in 1981. In 1986, a second virus, now called HIV-2, was also discovered in Africa. HIV-2 also causes AIDS. AIDS is transmitted in three ways From sexual contact withoutprotection, from the mixing of ones subscriber line with infected blood, and from aninfected pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection can occur from bloodtransfusions of infected blood, or sharing dirty needles. (Needlesalready used, in this case, by a HIV positive person.) The criminalization of intentionally spreading AIDS has been a bigissue recently, and still remains so. As of September, 1991, legislationcriminalizing AIDS transmittance has been passed in 24 states. Among thesestates are California, Idaho, Ohio, Missouri, knot, and South Carolina.Under these current laws, it is a crime to knowingly transmit the virusthrough sex, sharing needles, donating infected blood, organs, or skintissue. The first person to go to court under these laws in Michigan wasJeffrey Hanlon. Hanlon was a gay man who infected another man fromMichigan while he was in New York. The American Civil Liberties Union, whoagreed to take the case, agrued that the AIDS disclosure law isunconstitutional. Privacy of t hose with AIDS is what they were worriedabout. Opponents argued that theyre those with AIDS killing people.Its like rape. The maximum sentence Hanlon could have recieved was fouryears in prison and a $2000 fine. In addition, under the current New York State law, which dates lynchpinwell before June, 1987, the knowing transmission of a venerial disease is afelony. However, at that time, and currently, AIDS was not classified as avenerial disease.Interviews Concerning the Issue some people believe that the willful transmission of AIDS to others itvirtually murder. I have interviewed **name** and **name**. Both of themfeel that intentionally passing AIDS on to another person is murder.