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12/15/07-12/17/07

Bill Introduced to Allow HIV-Positive Travelers, Immigrants

Legislation was introduced Friday that would repeal provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act that bar HIV-positive people from entering the United States, senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Gordon Smith of Oregon announced. The provisions include HIV-positive doctors and experts as well as people seeking asylum in the U.S.

“It’s incredible that the federal government still tolerates a ban that not only restricts AIDS experts with the disease but also refugees who are seeking asylum in our country,” Kerry said in the statement. “My legislation will end this draconian law. The attempts to fix this law through a complex waiver system, while admirable, still don’t do anything to rectify the discriminatory underlying problem. That is why I have introduced this legislation to permanently strike this unfair provision from the books.”

The INA has treated HIV as a grounds to deny immigrants U.S. citizenship since 1993. The proposed bill by Smith, a Republican, and Kerry, a Democrat, would strike HIV restrictions from the INA and ask for a full review of the public health aspects of travel and immigration restrictions against those with HIV, the statement said.

Because of the restrictions, international HIV/AIDS conferences have been blocked from taking place in the United States. According to the statement, the U.S. is one of only 13 countries that have an HIV travel ban, along with China, Iraq, Libya, and Sudan.

The measure includes 12 requirements of HIV-positive visitors and immigrants coming to the U.S., including the disclosure of one's HIV status to officials in the individual’s home country; certification that the person has the medication necessary for the duration of their stay in the U.S.; certification that no symptoms are being exhibited; and a commitment to avoid all high-risk behavior while in the U.S. (The Advocate)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: unwanted human
    Date posted: 2008-12-03 7:42 PM
    Hometown: kingston , jamaica

    Comment:

    Having been living Aids for the past 5 years and having to read humans like me talk about not wanting me because im sick of a man made desease is sad. I could wish for dead but thats where im goin to end , i could wish to hate , but im too weak to hate , i could wish God didnt hate me so much , but then if he didnt hate me who would he hate ? Im only 24 years of age and having been infected with this desease unknowingly and now having to face the world that doesnt want anything to do with me is very painfull and makes me wonder why i was born anyway since i have to experiance such hate. I only wish to know what God has to say about this ? Where is my faith going ? Will they still hate me after death?


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