A controversial bill that allows rape survivors to force suspected attackers to be tested for HIV was signed into law yesterday by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who said it would give women the “ability to receive timely treatment and peace of mind.”
The bill was criticized by HIV and women’s activists, including New York City’s Housing Works and the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women, because of its focus on identifying the status of suspected attackers instead of the health of rape survivors.
There are also concerns that the law may give people a false sense of security because HIV tests are not always reliable.
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.
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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."
