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I'm not sure if this is a Health or Immigration thread. Well here goes.
Anyone aware that the HIV/AIDS travel ban was lifted by Obama? Anyone never knew there was a ban in the first place? Do you feel this is more of an immigration problem?
I'm just curious. Personally, I never knew there was such a ban.
I do feel the United States should not take in sickly people. Partly because of the potential spread of the diseases and partly because we haven't helped our own with this disease. IMO we should take care of home first, then look to help others. It's only an opinion though.
I knew there was a ban, because I've worked with HIV populations and seen the stigma they encounter every day. Friends of theirs won't go to the bathroom in the same stall they have, you know, just in case. It's pathetic.
Herpes is communicable and can't be cured, what about that? What about any other number of communicable and incurable diseases?
When people think AIDS/HIV they think of gay people, poor people, or racial minorities, and that's one of the reasons the stigma has continued and the ban hasn't been lifted until now, like the article says. If you have sex with a condom, don't share needles, and don't drink other people's blood, your chance of catching HIV is incredibly small, just like taking care of yourself if you have herpes. Keeping the ban alive stigmatizes people with HIV/AIDS much more than any other group of people who have incurable diseases. People who are your relatives and loved ones.
Oh yes, I knew about it. When travelling to the US, you have to sign a paper, and one of the things that is asked is whether or not you have HIV/AIDS.
I think it's great. Finally! There aren't many countries that have had this travel ban, and eventhough to my knowledge, I don't know anyone afflicted by HIV/AIDS, I can only imagine how it must feel to know that you are not allowed into a country simply because you have a disease.
Seriously, it's isn't hyper contagious - pretty much only through VERY intimate relations with someone affected. And just because you travel someplace doesn't mean that you are about to "hop in bed" with lots of people (or even one).
Again, it was a pathetic ban. The US has so many affected with HIV/AIDS already, that banning people (most of them are poor people living in undeveloped nations - it's not very likely that they are going to pour into the US just because of the lift of the ban) from VISITING won't and hasn't done much difference.
Sweden hasn't had this ban, and yet there has been no mass influx of people with HIV/AIDS that have "spread the disease". (That has been mainly done by immigration, and the US immigration policy regarding the disease has not been changed by this as far as I know)
Your right. I would feel horrible if a place did not accept me because of a disease.
But the United States is known for taking in immigrants. It is known as the land of opportunity. I just think we should take care of home first. How can we take in thousands of sick people when we already have millions sick with the same disease. Where would the immegrants live? Whose going to pay to take care of them?
Don't get me wrong. I do believe we should help, but not when our own are suffering.
Your right. I would feel horrible if a place did not accept me because of a disease.
But the United States is known for taking in immigrants. It is known as the land of opportunity. I just think we should take care of home first. How can we take in thousands of sick people when we already have millions sick with the same disease. Where would the immegrants live? Whose going to pay to take care of them?
Don't get me wrong. I do believe we should help, but not when our own are suffering.
In my opinion you're being overly dramatic and indulging in some pot-stirring.
Do you really believe there are "thousands" of people with HIV/AIDS anxiously standing at the border waiting for entry as legal immigrants? You posted the link to the article and maybe you should read that article more carefully to understand the reasoning and intent behind the decision to lift the ban.
The article itself states that according to the CDC there are estimated to be 1 million people in the US infected with HIV with one quarter of that number unaware that they have it. So much for your "millions sick with the same disease" comment.
While I ahve no problem with people with HIV/AIDS visiting our country, I don't think we should allow them to immigrate permanantly. My concern is for the burden they will place on our already bankrupt healthcare system.
I knew there was a ban, because I've worked with HIV populations and seen the stigma they encounter every day. Friends of theirs won't go to the bathroom in the same stall they have, you know, just in case. It's pathetic.
Herpes is communicable and can't be cured, what about that? What about any other number of communicable and incurable diseases?
When people think AIDS/HIV they think of gay people, poor people, or racial minorities, and that's one of the reasons the stigma has continued and the ban hasn't been lifted until now, like the article says. If you have sex with a condom, don't share needles, and don't drink other people's blood, your chance of catching HIV is incredibly small, just like taking care of yourself if you have herpes. Keeping the ban alive stigmatizes people with HIV/AIDS much more than any other group of people who have incurable diseases. People who are your relatives and loved ones.
Yes it is ridiculous. Hepatitis B is far, far more contagious than HIV.
Plus - nowadays HIV is very treatable with antivirals, so fewer people go on to develop AIDS (in Western society)which is classified as a syndrome , or collection of illnesses presenting together.
There is a HUGE difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS.
I know that you have to be tested for HIV when you have a medical for a Green Card but not for work visas.
My husband works in healthcare and as part of his medical screen he was tested for Hepatitis, but not HIV.
Used to be that they asked about your HIV on Mortgage/ Life insurance applications here in the UK ie Have you ever been tested for HIV? Even if you had had a test it caused problems, so people were reluctant to get tested,which is crazy.
While I ahve no problem with people with HIV/AIDS visiting our country, I don't think we should allow them to immigrate permanantly. My concern is for the burden they will place on our already bankrupt healthcare system.
I think you need to read up on the difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS.
You could just as well say that you shouldn't allow anyone in who smokes, is overweight, has High BP or cholesterol or is diabetic.
These risk factors contribute to heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke by the million, every day.
In my opinion you're being overly dramatic and indulging in some pot-stirring.
Do you really believe there are "thousands" of people with HIV/AIDS anxiously standing at the border waiting for entry as legal immigrants? You posted the link to the article and maybe you should read that article more carefully to understand the reasoning and intent behind the decision to lift the ban.
The article itself states that according to the CDC there are estimated to be 1 million people in the US infected with HIV with one quarter of that number unaware that they have it. So much for your "millions sick with the same disease" comment.
I agree, and I also think it may be the case that people would not choose the USA to emigrate to purely for health reasons. Far more likely to pick a European country that has "free" healthcare.
I think you need to read up on the difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS.
You could just as well say that you shouldn't allow anyone in who smokes, is overweight, has High BP or cholesterol or is diabetic.
These risk factors contribute to heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke by the million, every day.
I know the difference between HIV and AIDS. HIV is a virus that eventually causes AIDS. AIDS is a terminal illness. And frankly it wouldn't bother me if we exclude all of those above risk factors from permanant immigration either. We can't support the entire world, even though many would like us to.
And if you think for one minute that there isn't "free healthcare" in the US, you obviously don't know the real story. Show up on the doorstep of any hospital with a life threatening illness or injury, and you won't get turned away. In fact you can't get turned away by law from any hospital that gets public funds.
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