As HIV Travel Ban Ends, First HIV-Positive Visitor In 23 Years Lands In The United States
For nearly 23 years, HIV-positive individuals in foreign countries have been banned from receiving visas and thus entering the United States.
This record ended on Monday, when HIV-positive Clemens Ruland, along with his HIV-negative partner Hugo Bausch, landed in John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City.
Ruland and Bausch are from the Netherlands and will be visiting friends and shopping during their one week stay in the city.
The pair won a trip to New York City after Ruland entered a poem into an essay contest sponsored by a Dutch AIDS service organization.
Previously, Ruland and Bausch’s trip would not have been possible, as HIV was considered a “communicable disease of public health significance,” and anyone HIV-positive was ineligible for travel into the U.S.
This ban was originally put in place in 1987 when there was little information on how HIV was spread. Even after scientists had long proved that it was not spread through casual contact, the entry ban remained in place.
In July of 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proposed to remove HIV from the list of communicable diseases (see related Beacon news).
Other diseases that fall under the public health threat category include active tuberculosis, infectious leprosy, chancroid, lymphogranuloma, venereum, and granuloma inguinale.
This past November, President Barack Obama announced his final decision to lift the ban on travel for HIV patients (see related Beacon news).
As a result of the elimination of the HIV travel ban, the U.S. will now be able to host the International AIDS Conference in 2012. The event will bring together researchers, HIV-positive individuals, and policy makers from all over the world.
The Obama administration has said that hosting this event in Washington, D.C. will demonstrate America’s commitment to stopping the worldwide AIDS pandemic.
For more information, please see the On Top Magazine Web site and the official White House Web site.
Related Articles:
- Immigration Services Hold Waivers For HIV Positive Applicants
- Proposed Change To Travel Rules May Allow HIV Infected Individuals To Enter U.S.
- Obama Rules To Extend Ryan White Act And To Eliminate HIV Entry Ban
- Hillary Clinton Demonstrates A Commitment To Combating AIDS In Africa
- President Obama Announces Launch Of The National HIV/AIDS Community Discussions
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