After nearly two decades of discrimination, HIV-infected travelers will find it easier to enter the United States. President Bush has signed legislation that repealed a ban on HIV-positive people from entering the country, according to CBSNews and the Associated Press.
Under the old rules, HIV-infected immigrants, students, and tourists could not receive U.S. visas without special waivers and paperwork, effectively barring them from traveling here. The old ban also complicated and delayed the U.S. adoption of HIV-infected children.
At an AIDS conference in Mexico City, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said the restrictions “should fill us with shame.” Currently, seven nations deny HIV-infected travelers entrance into their countries while 65 other nations have restrictions with varying levels of severity. Ki-Moon’s native South Korea is among the nations that deny entry.
Many AIDS experts and rights activists find the new legislation to be a cause for celebration. Previously, travel restrictions could cause more trouble than they prevented, causing people with HIV to lie about their condition. It was discriminatory and would also lead to many of the infected to lie. Ron MacInnis, director of policy for the International AIDS Society, said, "It's blatantly discriminatory to single out people with HIV. It's stupid and ridiculous. These restrictions are really impeding our ability to control HIV and AIDS." MacInnis himself has HIV.
Craig McClure, executive director of the International AIDS Society, is optimistic for what this could do for the rest of the world’s position on HIV travelers. "The U.S. always sets the tone," McClure said. "This is huge not only for the people who have not been able to enter the U.S., but finally these laws might be overturned throughout the world."
