Obama to lift HIV/AIDS travel ban

[MaDuce]

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama announced Friday that he will lift a 22-year-old ban on entry into the United States for people infected with HIV/AIDS.

The administration intends to publish a new federal rule next week eliminating the ban by the start of 2010, he said.

"We talk about reducing the stigma of this disease, yet we've treated a visitor living with it as a threat," he said at the White House. "If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it."

Obama said that lifting the ban is a "step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment. It's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives."

The United States, he said, is one of only a dozen countries that still bar the entry of people with HIV.

Obama made the announcement shortly before signing legislation extending federally funded HIV/AIDS treatment for hundreds of thousands of underinsured, low-income Americans.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act authorizes a 5 percent annual increase in federal support over the next four years. Funding under the law is scheduled to rise from more than $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2010 to nearly $3 billion in fiscal year 2013.

Among other things, the law helps ensure continued funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative, designed to address "the disproportionate impact of the disease on racial and ethnic minorities," according to a White House statement.

The measure easily passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives last week. Similar legislation first passed almost 20 years ago and was reauthorized in 1996, 2000 and 2006.

Physicians for Human Rights, which shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to ban landmines, described the policy change as "monumental."

"Today is a great day for human rights and for people living with AIDS, their friends and their families," said CEO Frank Donaghue. "The HIV Travel Ban made the United States a pariah in human rights circles, and harmed our reputation as a world leader of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

"Starting in 2010, people living with HIV will no longer be prevented from entering this country, no longer turned away at customs, no longer forced to hide their condition and interrupt medical treatment, and no longer be treated by our government with contempt."

An estimated 1 million people in the United States have HIV, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost one-quarter of them are not aware that they are infected, the CDC says.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/30/obama.hiv.aids/index.html

[Nano]

Another way to funnel money to their pals eh.

[2495]

First let me state clearly that as a former health care worker, married to a health care worker, I am fully aware of all aspects of HIV i.e. infection, treatments and people living with the disease. I have been present when peoples infected with HIV have had surgical interventions and emergency treatment, and from that back ground I make the following statement.

Obama must be out of his bloody mind.

So, any jack arse with HIV can if his wishes pass into law, waltz freely into the United States. What does he think it is? a common damn cold? a few little bugs that a dose of anti biotics can cure? the guys a fvcking retarded bastard if he truely thinks that the USA should accept any one infected with HIV.

Medically it costs an absolute fortune to keep some one on the cocktail of medications HIV suffers ingest on a daily basis, and who the hell is going to pick up the tab? the American taxpayer? what the hell is wrong with this man? he is a total freaking numbskull if he thinks there are no risks associated with infected peoples, especially those from the African continent who a large number don't give a flying fvck who they infect, and many actually rape babies thinking it will cure them of HIV.

Obama, you Sir are a total and utter fvcking retard.

[Noons86]

Several things.

1. I think the same laws apply to foreigners infected with HIV, i.e. if an infected person has *** with someone but doesn't tell them, it's attempted murder.

2. I don't think anyone who believes the "virgin cure" superstition can afford a flight to the US.

[2495]

Several things.

1. I think the same laws apply to foreigners infected with HIV, i.e. if an infected person has *** with someone but doesn't tell them, it's attempted murder.

2. I don't think anyone who believes the "virgin cure" superstition can afford a flight to the US.

Oh really you think they give a damn? and as for the 'virgin cure' mobs - plenty of them have landed in the uk via what ever ****ty route they made it here, and alot of them see America as 'the dream ticket'. Know what kept them out? your laws. Theres an infectious disease ward in southern England that has Nigerians, South Africans, Congolese, kenyans, Zimbabwe... if you heard them describe their 'beliefs' like I have in the past, you'd be wanting to keep your HIV law caste iron water tight as it is now.
The misconception that educated Africans do not believe ridiculous things is a very dangerous one indeed - after all, you only have to look at the baby / child sacrifices and witch burnings in Africa to see the 'educated class' in action.

[MJC9678]

Obama, you Sir are a total and utter fvcking retard.


I agree...

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

They let HIV / Americans leave the US I always thought that it was a bit odd that they would not let HIV positive non citizens in but were happy to see their own travel worldwide. The first HIV cases in Scotland outside the gay community or haemophiliacs were clustered round a group of Edinburgh smackheads who used to supply and share needles with one smackhead US sailor from the Holy Loch, apparently the sailor had been HIV positive for years.

[I can't think of a name]

Didn't the former WHO head come out a few years ago and say that for the most part HIV is not a worry for people outside of the Homo****** and Sub-Saharan African communities?

That was a big no no for him to admit that because the left/PC crowd don't want the disease tied to the risky behavior of those social groups.

Keep their ****s in their pants and this will be gone. Religions developed monogamous and puritanical standards for a reason.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

Keep their ****s in their pants and this will be gone. Religions developed monogamous and puritanical standards for a reason.Thanks for the advice, mom.

And Obama:
you Sir are a total and utter fvcking retard.

[2495]

http://www.avert.org/aids-hiv-africa.htm

A friend sent me this link after they used it as a resource for a paper she wrote about infection control and the risk sub-saharan African illegal immigrants pose to health care staff here in the UK, and why all illegal immigrants should be cared for on first contact as if they have both antibiotic resistant TB and HIV.

The numbers are alarming to put it mildly.

[plato]

rubber is there for a reason, too. Certain religions won't allow it. I wonder which one is harder, keeping ****s in pants or simply use a rubber.

[2495]

rubber is there for a reason, too. Certain religions won't allow it. I wonder which one is harder, keeping ****s in pants or simply use a rubber.
http://www.avert.org/aids-hiv-africa.htm

In this link, there is a piece about how those countries that have higher condom use have lower HIV spread - and those who's governments don't spread the message about safe *** have astronomical levels of infection.

As for religions not allowing condoms, well, thats like killing a million prostitues and saying 'God told me to'. Same insanity, same outcome.

[Wahnsinn]

Oh really you think they give a damn? and as for the 'virgin cure' mobs - plenty of them have landed in the uk via what ever ****ty route they made it here, and alot of them see America as 'the dream ticket'. Know what kept them out? your laws.

That and the Atlantic Ocean. :roll:

[annihilation]

I can understand in one way and another way I can understand why we would prevent people coming into this country with infectious diseases. Each country has the right to be selective of who they allow in their country.

[2495]

That and the Atlantic Ocean. :roll:

No - theres things called Planes. Its not just the poor who have HIV in Africa - far from it - the rich buy babies to 'cure themselves' with.

[xav]

How many countries have/had such a law?

I think i heard on the radio there were only like 5 (i may be wrong tho)

[shiftypowpow]

How many countries have/had such a law?

I think i heard on the radio there were only like 5 (i may be wrong tho)

Don't know how up to date this site is
http://www.hivtravel.org/Default.aspx?PageId=143&Mode=list&StateId=2

[Mordoror]

let me states it clearly
the US policy about HIV is clearly discriminating
and moreover it is against clearly and definitively the medical secret

it is a good move (from a legal point of view and human rights) to remove it

why for the God sake because you are HIV positive (which don't means you are automatically AIDS ill) wouldn't you be allowed to enter on the US soil for business or holiday and tourism ??

it is beyond me .....
so yes again it is a good and logical move to remove it

[plato]

also on a practical note, how does US enforce such ban? By testing everyone who enters US? Give me a break! We cannot even keep the illegals out!

[Mordoror]

also on a practical note, how does US enforce such ban? By testing everyone who enters US? Give me a break! We cannot even keep the illegals out!
the way it is done, it is not specifically aimed at illegals but at everybody HIV positive (even those who are under tri or quadri therapies and whom virus level is below detection)

if you are targetting the illegals find another way then ....

[plato]

the way it is done, it is not specifically aimed at illegals but at everybody HIV positive (even those who are under tri or quadri therapies and whom virus level is below detection)

if you are targetting the illegals find another way then ....

how do you know if someone is HIV +?

[profall]

What's a good country to live in now-a-days for the normal average person? (Besides the United States).

[Mordoror]

how do you know if someone is HIV +?

technically speaking two tests have to be positive among the following ones

* research of anti HIV antibodies (by ELISA)
* research of virus genome (by RT-PCR)
*research of virus antigen (p24 protein)
* western blot against purified virus antigens

to declare you HIV positive
however some test are positive lately (you can be infected but for example antibodies are present and produced in the body several weeks after the infection)
some tests also don't work if you are under treatment (tri therapy lower your HIV viral level leading to none or bad detection with antigen and genome tests)

[plato]

technically speaking two tests have to be positive among the following ones

* research of anti HIV antibodies (by ELISA)
* research of virus genome (by RT-PCR)
*research of virus antigen (p24 protein)
* western blot against purified virus antigens

to declare you HIV positive
however some test are positive lately (you can be infected but for example antibodies are present and produced in the body several weeks after the infection)
some tests also don't work if you are under treatment (tri therapy lower your HIV viral level leading to none or bad detection with antigen and genome tests)

I mean how do they know if someone is HIV + or not when they enters the US?

[Mordoror]

I mean how do they know if someone is HIV + or not when they enters the US?
they don't know
however the form you have to fill at the custom is mandatory
several solutions

you are HIV negative : no problem
you are HIV positive and you don't know it (bacause of the unreliability timelap of 3 months of the tests) : you can be sued under federal laws because you fill no on the form and latter you are found to be HIV+
you are HIV positive and you fill yes on the form ; they do not let you enter the US territory
you are HIV positive and you fill no on the form : you can be sued under federal law for false declaration

[plato]

they don't know
however the form you have to fill at the custom is mandatory
several solutions

you are HIV negative : no problem
you are HIV positive and you don't know it (bacause of the unreliability timelap of 3 months of the tests) : you can be sued under federal laws because you fill no on the form and latter you are found to be HIV+
you are HIV positive and you fill yes on the form ; they do not let you enter the US territory
you are HIV positive and you fill no on the form : you can be sued under federal law for false declaration

that sounds kinda stupid. Not everyone know if they are HIV + or not

[Mordoror]

that sounds kinda stupid. Not everyone know if they are HIV + or not
agreed
that's one of the problem of the form and HIV positive travel ban

[budgie]

Medically it costs an absolute fortune to keep some one on the cocktail of medications HIV suffers ingest on a daily basis, and who the hell is going to pick up the tab? the American taxpayer? what the hell is wrong with this man? he is a total freaking numbskull if he thinks there are no risks associated with infected peoples, especially those from the African continent who a large number don't give a flying fvck who they infect, and many actually rape babies thinking it will cure them of HIV.

Obama, you Sir are a total and utter fvcking retard.

Firstly how does the US stop people with HIV entering anyway? Is everyone tested at the airport? Infection across borders is already a reality and it's minor compared to the rates of infection within nations suffering fromk an AIDS pandemic. As others here have said is not as if thne vast majority of those suffering from HIV in places like the Johannesberg slums or the brothels of Mumbai can make it to the US anyway.

On the second case you have a point: the healthcare system may indeed end up picking up the tab for overstayers with HIV. Will this be a massive drain on the economy? I doubt it as cases would likely be too few. Besides the massive expense of HIV medicines in the US is hardly enticing. One of the big arguments the US govt has had with the third world is over manufacture and distribution of generic drugs at a fraction of their American brand-name counterparts.

[manberries]

Thanks Obama. Once again you have screwed the US for the purpose of globalism and helping Africa at our expense. Hey, lets just let every infectious disease right on in. Who cares if HIV spreads at a greater rate and people die because of his decision? You guys are nut jobs. It may be hard to enforce, but any amount of any disease that can be stopped at the border should be. The excuses that it is already here doesn't assist in it. It is all very simple. Supporting this idea WILL help spread HIV among Americans, and their deaths are your fault. Obama proves more worthless by the minute.

[plato]

Thanks Obama. Once again you have screwed the US for the purpose of globalism and helping Africa at our expense. Hey, lets just let every infectious disease right on in. Who cares if HIV spreads at a greater rate and people die because of his decision? You guys are nut jobs. It may be hard to enforce, but any amount of any disease that can be stopped at the border should be. The excuses that it is already here doesn't assist in it. It is all very simple. Supporting this idea WILL help spread HIV among Americans, and their deaths are your fault. Obama proves more worthless by the minute.

How do we help Africa at our expense by the lefting of this ban? Thanks!

[manberries]

Because Africa is by and far the country most hurt by the ban on AIDS travel. Their businessmen from places like Nigeria and Togo are kept from visiting places in the US. I do believe a member of his family is unable to visit from Africa because of this ban.

[kinney_bmx]

africa isnt a country

[manberries]

Oh piss off. I meant countries. The plural form and singular form have nothing to do with the argument. Forgive my grammar for typing at 12AM while watching a youtube video. However, I guess the specific mention of individual countries wasn't obvious enough to point that out.

[plato]

Oh piss off. I meant countries. The plural form and singular form have nothing to do with the argument. Forgive my grammar for typing at 12AM while watching a youtube video. However, I guess the specific mention of individual countries wasn't obvious enough to point that out.

we forgive you.

[kinney_bmx]

Oh piss off. I meant countries. The plural form and singular form have nothing to do with the argument. Forgive my grammar for typing at 12AM while watching a youtube video. However, I guess the specific mention of individual countries wasn't obvious enough to point that out.
Dont get pissy, I actually agree with you

[manberries]

I didn't get any Halloween candy so my panties are in all sorts of a bunch, but seriously, no.