Canada’s highest court will rule Friday on whether HIV-positive Canadians who don’t tell their sexual partners of their status should face criminal charges.
It’s a contentious issue the Supreme Court of Canada will rule on in two high-profile cases that involved Canadians living with HIV.
But physicians and human rights advocates argue that if Supreme Court judges make Canadians living with HIV disclose their condition to partners, the law would stigmatize these people and perpetuate fear of what’s now a manageable disease.
“This is counterproductive. What it does is it creates a hostile, stigmatizing environment around HIV, even if you’re acting responsibly,” says Richard Elliott, a lawyer and executive director at the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.
The national organization works to protect and promote human rights for those with HIV. It also encourages law and policy that helps with HIV prevention.
Read it on Global News: Global BC | Should laws force HIV-positive Canadians to disclose their status to partners?