HIV Testing, legal access to information, "personals"

[DavidC]

Background:

I live in Canada, in Ontario. I went to my doctor for a physical and had bloodwork done as part of that. I wanted nutrition, and I threw in drugs spontaneously and just when I got there I decided I might as well get tested for HIV if they're going to take blood anyways.

So I asked if this would be public record, JUST IN CASE I showed up positive on a drug test. He tells me that the HIV will be, but everything else won't be. He also tells me that it's not going to be front-page news or whatever, but that courts were allowed to subpeona the info in investigating cases of negligence with regards to infecting others with HIV.

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Question:

Is this a Good Law, from a Moral and Practical standpoint?

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Discussion:

Moral:
It's been a while since I was able to prove these things, but I "feel" that this is moral. I mean, you should be held accountable for these things.

Practical:
I don't like this for a few reasons:

1) It provides a disincentive for people to get HIV testing, which is NOT GOOD. AdamL, in a private discussion, retorted that it's basic human nature to want to know, enough to override this disincentive. I, however, was testing really impulsively, so it could have been enough of a push to get me in particular not to do it (I did it anyways, I won't know for a few weeks, and the results won't be published here unless there's a good reason).

2) It seems like it's something that wouldn't get enforced often. I mean, firstly you have to have sex with someone, then they have to get HIV, then they have to get tested, then they have to find out it was you they got it from, then they have to somehow determine that you knew about it before you slept with them. This doesn't happen often (particularly before you die anyways?). So, there's not a huge risk in f_cking around anyways. Again, this is assuming that you're some kind of monster that would be able to do that.

Anyways, I'm not sure how practical the law is, but I like it overall, and anyone that wants to discuss it, go for it.

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Edit: Finally, this has got me thinking that part of an HIV support group could be a personals service. I mean, "the condemned" need love too, maybe more than anyone, but I've never heard of this type of program anywhere. A website for personals for people with HIV could help to increase quality of life for those with HIV and to help prevent the spread of the disease. Anyways, food for thought. It might already be out there... Discuss that if you want also.

Edit: http://www.positivesingles.com/

Good stuff. I hope I never have to use it! God bless the Internet. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]