Despite the government’s belief that names-based reporting is critical to reducing HIV rates, [I’m concerned about] the results in a "sex police" atmosphere where there is fear of social workers outing HIV+ information in their attempts to contact sexual partners.
In Mississippi, there remains a skepticism about confidentiality. I have heard reports (I don’t know if they’re true) of people being evicted from their residences, police knocking on doors informing HIV+ persons that their sexual behavior will monitored, and status information given to the general public when medical support staff gossip among friends and family. Within such small populations, one slip of the tongue can circulate throughout an entire community in a matter of weeks. Many remember the procedures used not so long ago to study syphilis, implanting distrust of outside agencies.
HIV/AIDS remains a taboo subject matter in conservative states such as Mississippi. Not only are [positive people] ostracized by many religious groups, we are also excommunicated from the social circles we thought we belonged in.
The less fear there is amongst our gay, bi-sexual, MSM, prisoner, needle-sharing drug user and even heterosexual communities, the more voluntary information will be received.
