Thanks For Nothing...

I'm not a fan of using overtly political sites.  For this, I will.  The 1st article on Vox & the 2nd Washington Examiner.  The Vox article says requiring people who knowingly have HIV to disclose that to potential sex partners is too difficult & damaging.  They feel it only adds to the stigma of being +.  The 2nd piece is opposed & states some 2020 Presidential campaigners as supporting the repeal of such laws.  Pete Buttigieg & Cory Booker have supported the idea of undoing such "hardships."

Giving someone else the option to refuse sex with you because you have a STD, may not be pleasant, but it's the ethical & should remain legal thing to do.  If you have so little respect for your partner, then walk on by.  Having sex with someone while withholding such information, is deceptive.  IMO, it's a violation & should be treated as such.   

The repeal of such laws wouldn't support honest, caring people.  It would only aid callous cowards willing to potentially expose others to HIV.  These aren't noble people experiencing a hardship.  They're barely a step above zombies.   They want sex instead of brains.  Maybe if they used their brains, they'd see how harmful they're being.  It's doubtful, but it could happen.

Cya...

PS - I'll never vote for anyone supporting these repeals.

Deserved....

This piece is about a Florida man who was convicted on counts of failing to disclose his HIV status to others before having sex.   The article goes into the specifics.  He deserves more than he'll probably get.  Read the piece.

For those of you that don't get the issue.  What if someone offered you a ride home.  Shouldn't be a big deal, right?  What if the person offering you the ride knew there was a snake in their car & you got bit?   Still think it's no big deal?  Would it really matter in the moment that the snake wasn't poisonous?  Or would it just be about the fact, that someone let you get into their car knowing a loose snake was in it & you got bit?

Add to it, the guy in the article is proverbial, he's Florida Man.

Cya...

My Pharm...

In Summer of 2017,  2 or more health care providers/pharmacies disclosed the HIV status of 1,000's.  AETNA did & so did my pharmacy, CVS.   The information was exposed due to a faulty design in the envelope.  Correspondence with the client was sent via envelopes with clear windows.  These transparent parts easily allowed for others to discover the HIV status of the letter's intended recipient. 

Was this intentional?  Highly unlikely.   Both agencies are facing litigation. This article discusses how an HIV drug assistance program in Ohio is suing CVS for exposing the status over 6,000.   If these people revealed their status should've been up to them.  Not due to corporate carelessness.   It's no wonder why people don't trust companies.   This wasn't done out of maliciousness.  It was done due to disregard for anything else than efficiency.  It wasn't personal, it was callous, uncaring.  All these companies were concerned with was making it easier on themselves.  Now they're being sued.

Good.  

Health issues are supposed to be private.  We have laws covering these matters.  Let these entities start to respect those laws or let them pay.

Cya..

Do Tell...

For years there's been a debate over whether or not HIV+ people, especially at undetectable levels, should have to disclose their HIV status to sex partners..  Some say forcing + people to do so is violating their freedom of speech & the requirement is damaging to the + person's sense of self.  

SCREW THAT!!!

If you are +, then you should tell any one you may have sex with.  It should be their choice whether or not to move forward, not yours.  To hell with your fear of rejection.  It won't compare to their anxiety as they wait to see if they contracted HIV from some one they thought they could trust.  

Having sex without full disclosure is a violation.  HIV + people who knowingly have sex without revealing their status are aggressors in sexual violation & biological assault.  No wiggle room.

Grow up, disclose or just don't have sex.  Don't give me the undetectable = untransmittable crap.  Even if it holds true, it'll be of little comfort to your victim.

Cya...

Stupid...

This article is in response to a judge's statement on a case involving an HIV + man.  The man, Ricky Webster, engaged in sexual activity with some girls and didn't tell them of his HIV status.  I'm not removing their responsibility in this matter.  They should've demanded condoms.  However, he was wrong for not telling them he was +.  The judge stated.

This ranks as the most cowardly of human acts... what Ricky Webster did, was to steal the lives of those young girls. 

The writer, Mayo Schreiber, Jr. (an attorney dealing with HIV policy) pitched a little fit.  He said the girls lives hadn't been stolen.  They hadn't been assaulted.   He continued on to tell of the way this judge's statements might impact others living with HIV.   I wonder if this lawyer's crying foul was genuine or just to stir up publicity.

As a person living with HIV, the type of people this attorney is expressing concern for, I totally agree with the judge.  Mr.  Webster did not have the right not to reveal he was + to his sexual partners.  If those girls are +, then he did steal the lives they had.  The lawyer has a very narrow interpretation of what is an assault. 

The person who did the harm to people living with HIV wasn't the judge.  It was Mr. Webster & his actions.  To a lesser extent, it was this attorney for pot stirring & making the HIV+ community look as if we can't take responsibility for our actions.   Mr Schreiber, your comments were not accurate or representative of all people living with HIV.  Thanks anyway.

Cya...

Still An Issue...

I've talked a lot about the stigma of living with HIV.   This article details a lot of these concerns for HIV +  people.  There have been great strides made in the medical treatment of HIV, but not in the mindsets of the people.  This article goes briefly into the concerns, fears & actual cases of discrimination against people for no other reason than their HIV status.  

I laugh when people say things are better.  Maybe in some places, but not in most.  This is another reason I dislike the idea of treatment as prevention,  Treatment does nothing to educate or further the understanding of the virus & those living with it.  That will only come with active education & communication.   No pill can do that.

The article's a good read.

Cya...

Yes, You Have To Tell...

I continually come across articles & advice columns on the topic of disclosing your HIV status.  Most want to know when a person should inform a potential sex partner they're +.  Others feel, since they're on a regimen & their viral load is undetectable, they shouldn't have to tell anyone anything.

Wrong!

You should always reveal your HIV status to a sexual partner,  They should be informed & be able to agree to the risks they'd be taking.  Even with "safer" sex there are still risks, yes even with PrEP.   Having an undetectable viral load & being on a drug regimen, means it's highly unlikely you'll transmit the virus.  It may even be virtually impossible.   But the keyword in both those sentences are "unlikely" & "virtually".  Neither of those grant absolute certainty.   Your partner has a right to know.

If you are +, for whatever reason you've been dealt a bad card.  Maybe it was due to your own behavior or not.   But, by not telling someone you'll be intimate with, you could be handing them the same fate.  Not telling them you're + is selfish, arrogant & cowardly.

It's simple, if you're + & you're going to have sex, you tell the other person.  It may not be easy for you, but it'll be easier than them living with HIV.   Just tell them.

Cya...