The positive people of South Africa have won a
great battle. But they must demand options other than 'naked nevirapine'
if they are not to lose a war.
Criminalising the careless
Could the Department of Health please slap the Crown Prosecution Service?
A South London doctor has been charged with grievous bodily harm after
a 14-month CPS enquiry for passing herpes - yes, herpes - onto his ex-girlfriend.
Not the best way to combat stigma against people with sexually-transmitted
diseases.
This threatened prosecution is the first of its kind in England, after
last year's landmark Scottish case where a man was imprisoned for passing
on HIV to his girlfriend. Two top doctors have already reported in the
British Medical Journal that the Scottish legal precedent could mean fewer
people testing for HIV and more people becoming infected.
If some Love Rat left us with an STI we might feel like going to court.
But once again, the sledgehammer of the criminal law is being used to
smash a very small nut, with potentially major health dangers. It's time
both the Westminster and Edinburgh parliaments acted swiftly to stop the
law becoming an ass yet again.
page 3 of 3
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