Born That Way...

This article isn't about a GaGa song.  It's about kids born with HIV.  It states 20% of those children born with HIV are unaware of their status at the time of their 1st sexual encounter.  Of those aware, many reported not telling their partner of their status at the time of the experience.  Nor did most of them employ condoms.  

For those unaware of their status, the parents/guardians are at fault.  However, for those that knew, they are at least partly to blame.  It's obvious there was a failure somewhere to teach these kids their responsibility not to infect others.  The problem here is these kids act like other kids.  They don't want to use condoms.  They don't want to risk alienation by telling their partners they're +.

Too many people are treating these young people with the proverbial kid gloves.  They're so worried about the mental health of these kids, they're not conveying the importance of taking their meds, discourse & safer sexual practices.  In many places what these teens are doing is considered criminal & punishable.  These + kids are assaulting their partners.  Their behavior is fraudulent. 

Their partners bear some responsibility as well for not insisting on condoms.  However, the parents & other adults around these kids have to be held responsible for failing to not inform these kids not only of their status, but of the health risk they pose to others.  If past that point, these teens still choice to have sex with others without informing them of their status or using condoms, then in my opinion, their behavior is criminal.

Cya...