U.S. To Change HIV Visa Policy

There are a handful of rather backward thinking countries that discriminate against people with the HIV virus -- countries like China, Yemen, Iraq and Sudan. But among the civilized and industrialized Western nations, there is only one -- the United States. Most of its citizens probably don't know it, but the U.S. still refuses to grant an entrance Visa to anyone known to have the HIV virus.

The reason is that the government still lists having the HIV virus as a "communicable disease of public health significance". That rating means an automatic denial to anyone applying for a Visa. The law was designed to protect the American population from truly communicable diseases that are spread by contact or through the air. But haven't we known for years now that HIV does not have that kind of communicability?

The U.S. policy was highlighted last month, when HIV and TB activist Paul Thorn was refused admission to the United States. Thorn was supposed to speak at a health summit in Seattle. He had entered the U.S. several times before by lying on the Visa application, but said he was tired of lying.

According to Thorn, "The US government gives people who have HIV one of two choices. The first is to actually be dishonest on the visa application or visa-waiver form, commit a felony by lying to US immigration, and become a criminal. The second choice is to be honest, and have a visa rejected because you are considered an undesirable person, and unfit to enter the US. To my mind either being a criminal or an undesirable isn't much of a choice. I don't want to be either."

After being denied entrance to the U.S., Thorn sent a statement which was read to the summit. The statement blasted the United States policy. Evidently, the government was embarrassed by the statement, because Thorn has been notified that the policy will be changed.

I'm glad the U.S. is finally changing this law. But I have to wonder why it was still in effect. Must the United States always be embarrassed before getting rid of ridiculous and outdated laws?