Health Highlights: Nov. 2, 2009

Reader Comments
Back to article

The Congress already passed the bill and Bush signed it last year.
What did Obama do exactly?? Well, he announced it.
He's only signing to renew the Ryan White Bill (which has been around for 16 years).
The ban has only contributed to the failure to educate the public by stigmatizing the infected and clouding the truth about the disease. HIV is already widespread in America for so many decades. The routes of its transmission are well understood and supported by scientific evidence. Admission of HIV-positive poses no threat to public health in the country. Only those who discriminate and like to fool themselves with illusions would support the ban. It is very important to let the public know that those involved in certain dangerous behaviors will be infected. The CDC and HHS have the responsibility to educate the public to avoid such behaviors, not to create, or reinforce, false information and misguide them to think they are living in a bubble. HIV is an absolutely, or highly at the least, avoidable disease.

Aaron D. Garner of GA 1:41PM November 04, 2009

Lifting this ban in all counts would be the first most important, productive, and humane way to educate the public. The advance of science and medicine has proofed that this is a very manageable and controllable disease. People can have a very normal and health life, even have healthy babies.
This ban is really absurd and counter-productive. It simply further encourage the public not to face the disease with a good attitude but just trying to escape and hide from it. It discriminates and outcasts people who are HIV+. After over 3 decades, people still don't understand about the disease and thought it's not around them.
There is over 1.1 million Americans living with it. It's around you. Banning people to come in just reinforce the 'false-security' that some Americans have.
Face the truth and take a positive attitude is how all of us should treat the disease. After all, it's absolutely preventable. I would worry about sitting next to a heavy smoker for years, or just catching the H1N1 flu.
Only a dozen countries still have the ban, among them some are lifting the ban. If Americans with HIV are welcome to other countries, it's just common sense to lift the ban. It's long-overdue.

Mike W of VA 6:18PM November 02, 2009

I don't understand how allowing those who are not citzens of this country to enter will "Keep families together" or encourage detection and treatment(unless the person is coming for such treatment). Banning people with a a life threatening desease from entering this country sounds like a very prudent and intellegent choice. It is not fear mongering to keep them out. Obama is playing fast and lose with your life, health, and happiness in order to curry favor with the homosexuals with politcial clout. His action is very "queer" and dangerous.

dale hendon of CA 4:49PM November 02, 2009