Canadians shouldn't have to disclose HIV to lovers: BC doctor

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Recent statements made by a British Columbia doctor, a Director for the BC Centre for Excellence will certainly stir up contraversy with his statement that HIV/AIDs infected persons undergoing treatment for the disease need not divulge their disease to prospective sex partners.

Currently HIV-positive Canadians are legally bound to reveal their status to sexual partners, or face criminal consequences.  Canadians infected by those with HIV/AIDs have taken their former lovers to court, including some victims who are living a death sentence in what only can be described as horrific, with a few victims who have already succumbed to this dreaded disease, while the offender is still alive and moving onto the next unsuspecting victim.

Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, states "current treatments can make the risk of spreading HIV through sex negligible -- even without condoms." Dr. Julio Montaner.

In April 2009, a jury convicted Johnson Aziga a Ugandan born Canadian from Hamilton, Ontario with two counts of first degree murder, 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault, and one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault.  Mr. Aziga had unprotected sex with at least 11 women over a period of years, knowing he was HIV positive, the end result was seven of his unsuspecting victims were diagnosed with AIDS, with two of these victims later dying from the illness.

It is unfathomable that a medical professional to go against worldwide medical convention when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases, let alone to state that it is unlikely to spread HIV/AIDs even without condoms, including sexual partners who need not divulge their disease to their sexual partners. To do otherwise whether the disease is in remission or being treated is playing Russian Roulette using one's genitalia on the unsuspected victims.  It is  leaves an uncertainty whether one will live or one will die, including an unsuspecting victim whose one night stand may contract HIV/AIDS and unknowingly pass it along to next victim.

The adage "When you have unprotected sex with one person, you are having sex with all their previous partners".

What will his say to those who are infected with HIV/AIDS? Just because they are undergoing treatment will this give them a way out not to divulge they have HIV/AIDS?   Will they take this Doctors statement to heart? Certainly the onus once again lies with the victim and not the offender, so common in British Columbia!

The Canadian Health system is maxxed out as it is, and his logic is certainly going to ensure our Health system will keep him gainfully employed for decades to come, all at taxpayer expense of course.

Canadians should be outraged at this Doctor and his seemingly cavalier attitude and demand he be removed from his position immediately, regardless of his global standing as a HIV/AIDs researcher.

In ending, life is full of risks, but HIV/AIDS, whether being treated or not with cocktails is a risk none of us are willing to take !