Kansas bill calls for HIV positive people to be quarantined

[mn6]

This sounded so outrageous that I initially thought I was reading a fake-news site like the Onion, but other news sites are also carrying this emerging story today..

"Kansas House Bill 2183, which has passed in the Kansas Senate, will update the state’s public health statute by allowing quarantine of Kansans with ‘infectious diseases.’ " One senator unsuccessfully tried to amend the bill to exclude HIV/AIDS, since it isn't transmitted via aerosol or casual contact.

A major fear is that this potential law could be used by county health employees, motivated by their religious beliefs, to discriminate against people with HIV/AIDS.

The articles both state that it's likely that this will be passed into law in the next few weeks.

• Gay Star News article
  
• Fox 4 News Kansas City article
  

[Jimmy1212]

Kansas is seriously vying for the "most backward state" title. Last week these same clowns passed a law restricting abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. That can be as early as six weeks ... i.e before many women even know they're pregnant. None of these laws are expected to survive court challenges, but the fact that in these times the government of Kansas is willing to waste taxpayers' money passing and defending them, speaks volumes about how much they respect their constituents.

[straycowboy]

I don't think that can stand up to the due process clause in the constitution. They would have to show an overwhelming public threat from those with whatever illness, and too many are controllable for that argument to stand. That would irk me to the point of action, if I knew anyone they applied it to.

Stewart

[KYcumdump68]

I don't think that can stand up to the due process clause in the constitution. They would have to show an overwhelming public threat from those with whatever illness, and too many are controllable for that argument to stand. That would irk me to the point of action, if I knew anyone they applied it to.

Stewart

as the man said Unconstitutional

[BREEDmeRAW]

IF they REALLY wanted to quarantine THOSE who have HIV -- REAGAN could have done that when the number of people in the USA was under 20 people. Documentary called, "And the Band play on" ..... gives Data and information. But Elections in the USA are more important than the people. THINK how much LESS debt we would ALL have if political ads were eliminated. If you don't the people who represent you, then they don't know you or your interest.

It most likely will PASS just as prop 8 in CA did several years ago. Prop 8=HATE!

Then in 10 years the Supreme court may say it is unconstitutional.... or they could duck the issue like they have others.

Still Abortion is a "hot topic" and in Kansas they just Kill the doctor's who do abortions.

Enough of this HIV POSITIVE people to be QUARANTINED. There are TOO Many of us now.

Hell my state REQUIRES that you inform any potential sex partners that you are HIV POSITIVE, and that is why my profile on here, bbrt, A4a, and MH all CLEARLY give my status AND that I do NOT use condoms... and I EXPECT to feel hard cock, pulsing throb until it explodes DEEP in my ASS.

let's get back to fucking.

[PhoenixGeoff]

The Kansas Department of Health and the Environment is denying that the bill would lead to quarantining.

“The concerns about quarantine and isolation related to HIV are completely unwarranted,” said Charlie Hunt, the state epidemiologist at KDHE. “Existing law states that any isolation or quarantine actions have to be reasonable and medically necessary, and neither of those are relevant for HIV. So our position all along has been that it wouldn’t be legal, and besides, that was never our intention behind the bill.”

However, this does highlight some of the potential legal problems for people with HIV. A lot of guys who post on this site are pretty promiscuous. Obviously, we're not fans of using condoms (and posting to this site could probably be used as evidence that you don't intend to use them). And a lot of us have HIV. The combination of those three things might very well lead a state Department of Health to conclude (and a judge agree) that someone should be quarantined on that basis.

A big part of the reason would be that governments, both state and federal (via Medicaid, Ryan White, etc.), often end up footing the rather expensive bill for HIV treatment. They've got a serious interest in reducing HIV transmission.

So I wouldn't expect to see everyone in Kansas with HIV getting rounded up and confined. But it also wouldn't surprise me if someone who posted regularly on this site who lived there ended up getting quarantined.

[wood]

The Kansas Department of Health and the Environment is denying that the bill would lead to quarantining.

However, this does highlight some of the potential legal problems for people with HIV. A lot of guys who post on this site are pretty promiscuous. Obviously, we're not fans of using condoms (and posting to this site could probably be used as evidence that you don't intend to use them). And a lot of us have HIV. The combination of those three things might very well lead a state Department of Health to conclude (and a judge agree) that someone should be quarantined on that basis.

A big part of the reason would be that governments, both state and federal (via Medicaid, Ryan White, etc.), often end up footing the rather expensive bill for HIV treatment. They've got a serious interest in reducing HIV transmission.

So I wouldn't expect to see everyone in Kansas with HIV getting rounded up and confined. But it also wouldn't surprise me if someone who posted regularly on this site who lived there ended up getting quarantined.

From a public health perspective I see this another way. IMO HIV/AIDS was included in there simply because it is a known infectious disease. There is a logic behind quarentining people with certain infectious diseases, however it is mostly for people with diseases that can be readily spread in regular contact, such as flu's, pox's, SARS, etc. However in a world of international travel quarantining has also been shown to not work that well. SARS, Flu's, as well as HIV/AIDS, has made it past all attempts at quarantining. Early testing, and treatment is much more effective.

Kansas just like all states recieves federal money to deal with HIV/AIDS. Im not one to normally agree with more right wing media, but i do not think this was meant to target people with HIV/AIDS. Heres info on the program in kansas.

http://www.kdheks.gov/hiv/ryan_white_care.html

That being said, if the government has a serious interest in reducing HIV/AIDS transmission they need to do a much better job at outreach, and making things like PrEP, and clinic visits a low to no cost option for people.

If I was director of health and human services I would advocate for free PrEP for all at risk populations, with additional funding for HIV education in all public schools. Many public schools in the country dont even have health classes anymore because of funding cuts, so some kids may not even know what is risky. Until a vaccine or cure is available, PrEP, condoms, and education are the only things that will curb infection, and right now just using 2/3 of those isnt working so well.

[deldeldel]

And I wonder what they'd do with the quarantined.. Pay them to live somewhere? Get them the medications they need? what would their rights BE?

[nastyandy74]

Hey RawTop, can you elucidate your privacy policies on bz? any thoughts of moving the site out of US jurisdiction?

[Guest thehammerman]

From the standpoint of a European, who's simply a distant observer of such things, I'm amazed (and horrified) by such draconian legislation. Then again, we Europeans have had (historically) our fair share of similar policies ...