British government announced plans Friday to revisit legislation making it a crime to knowingly infect someone with HIV.

(London) The British government announced plans Friday to revisit
legislation making it a crime to knowingly infect someone with
HIV.
http://365gay.com/Newscon06/09/090106ukhiv.htm

The Crown Prosecution Service said it is not considering a call
to abolish the law but wants to clarify it so that the public is
aware how it is applied.

"We wish to issue a clear statement that explains the way we
handle cases involving the intentional or reckless sexual
transmission of infections," said Seamus Taylor,
the Director of Equality and Diversity for the service said.

"We wish to set out our position clearly as we want to promote
greater confidence in the criminal justice system - a key aim for
all agencies involved."

Taylor said that the government wants input from the public on
seven key areas. Among them should any relevance be placed when
charges are laid on whether a suspect had medical advice, if
safe-sex was ever discussed or if a suspect had the ability to
ensure that protection was used in sex.

The law has been criticized by several HIV/AIDS groups
concerned that the law was too sweepingly applied.

To date there have been eight convictions under the
law, all but one involving heterosexuals.

In the gay case, an international manhunt was launched this week
for a man convicted of infecting his same-sex partner. (story)
http://365gay.com/Newscon06/07/070406hiv.htm

Mark James failed to show up in court for his sentencing earlier
this month. A judge did not let that stop him from imposing a
three-year sentence on James.

During the trial a West London court was told that James knew he
was HIV-positive for seven months but did not share the
information with his lover, whose name is withheld under a court
order.

The partner learned of James' status after being told by a mutual
friend of the couple. When confronted with the information James
denied it and the couple continued to have unprotected sex.

The partner only discovered the truth after he tested
positive for HIV. At that point he went to police.

Last month in a similar case the California Supreme Court ruled
that people who lead high-risk sexual lives have good reason to
know they may be infected with the virus that causes AIDS and are
responsible for informing partners about possible exposure.
(story)

A federal court in Michigan is the only other jurisdiction to
rule similarly, in a 1993 case involving former NBA star
"Magic" Johnson, who tested positive for HIV in 1991.
http://365gay.com/Newscon06/09/090106ukhiv.htm
.

Relevant Pages

  • Ancient interspecies viral battle may have left humans vulnerable to HIV
    ... Ancient viral battle left people vulnerable to HIV ... A battle won by human ancestors against a virus that infected ... There is genetic evidence that the PtERV1 virus infected chimpanzees, ... against any of the retroviruses that currently infect humans, ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • News: Ancient viral battle left people vulnerable to HIV.
    ... Ancient viral battle left people vulnerable to HIV ... WASHINGTON - A battle won by human ancestors against a virus ... There is genetic evidence that the PtERV1 virus infected chimpanzees, ... against any of the retroviruses that currently infect humans, ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: should I worry about hepatitis c?
    ... managed to infect yourself is the big one; but there's also your concern about ... know that the risk for HIV is even lower but should I worry also about ... I was suturing up a wound without hemostats and manually ... I was also breathed on alot by the patient. ...
    (sci.med.diseases.hepatitis)
  • Re: HIV-1, 2 in sub-saharan africa
    ... likely to infect one race, one group, one sex, etc more than ... fight HIV"? ... well....you've obviously implied that we have been fighting it far too ... In the entire 25+ year history of the disease, AIDS has killed ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)