On air: Should you have to tell your sexual partner, if you have HIV?
| 14:24 UK time, Monday, 16 August 2010
Nadja Benaissa is the singer in the German group and she's on trial for gross bodily harm. She's accused of having unprotected sex with several partners without warning them she was HIV-positive. The story is the most read in bbcnews.com,and raises any number of questions...
If you're HIV+, is there any circumstance where not telling a new partner is justifiable?
Even if it's not justifiable, does such behaviour deserve to be punished as a crime? And will punishment have any impact on HIV rates? (argues it's of no help.)
Next, there's the responsibility of the new partner. Isn't it for them to check with the person they're sleeping with for the first time? If you have unprotected sex, don't you take your chances?
Then we move on to other STDs. If this is a crime, then what about herpes, syphilis and so on? Should those too be declared if you have them? And if they aren't, should lesser or punishments be handed down?
I could go on. It's a story that throws up many important and fascinating issues. We'll discuss them today. Let me know if you'd like to take part.
