The Peace Corps agreed to end restrictions for people who have HIV, according to a statement by the American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org, 7/30).
Instead of ending volunteer service, Peace Corps policy will require individual assessments for positive volunteers to determine ways to protect their health and allow them to continue serving.
The ACLU’s involvement came after Jeremiah Johnson, a volunteer stationed in Ukraine, was sent home after testing positive for the virus. Johnson’s story quickly hit the press, including the cover of the July/August 2008 issue of POZ.
“We are very pleased that the Peace Corps has acknowledged that it cannot legally terminate volunteers automatically merely because they test positive for HIV,” says Rebecca Shore, a staff attorney with the ACLU.
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Brian C, Milwaukee, 2008-08-05 00:40:41
Not a fully fleshed out article. Ok, they won't terminate volunteers after they contract hiv but will they allow already poz people to sign up to serve?
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
