Robbie.Bates@p1.f381.n634.z3.fidonet.org (Robbie Bates) (06/07/90)
> A question, if one travels around, intentionally infecting others > with H.I.V./A.I.D.S. is it a crime, manslaughter? First degree murder? > I believe it should be. People who have done that have put a death > sentence on the people that they infect. I causes severe emotional > trauma to the (excuse this word) infectee and their family, not to > mention the harm the unaware infectee could cause before finding out > that they have the Virus. Certainly someone intentionally infecting anyone with any disease is a serious matter. In most parts of Australia, the state government has the power to compulsorily counsel anyone who is HIV positive and intentionally transmits the virus to another person. The ultimate sanction is some form of quarantine/detention if the person doesn't change their behavour so as not to place others at risk of infection, though a detention order is contestable through the courts. One point though. Whilst I wouldn't underplay the emotional trauma aspects, many people would argue that HIV infection isn't necessarily a death sentence. There are a lot of people who've been around for a long time although HIV positive, who maintain a reasonable or better state of health by a variety of means. Drugs which offer some control of the virus (like AZT, DDI and others you may have heard of as well as a variety of "nautral" therapies) also hold out hope that in the near future AIDS may at least be a chronic but manageable disease rather than a "terminal" illness. Robbie -- Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!3!634!381.1!Robbie.Bates Internet: Robbie.Bates@p1.f381.n634.z3.fidonet.org