1980s panic reporting helps HIV spread

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/reporting-on-a-hollywood-hiv-panic-like-its-the-1980s-will-only-help-the-virus-spread-a6730261.html

The article in question, which is based on a report from Radar Online, claims that there is a Hollywood celebrity who has HIV, and that he has knowingly been sleeping around without telling his sexual partners. This has apparently led to a “Hollywood HIV Panic”.

As someone who lives with HIV, when I read about this I felt like screaming. Let’s go through it bit by bit…

1) How does anyone know this celebrity actually has HIV? Could it be based on medical records? Either way, it seems highly likely that someone’s privacy has been invaded.

2) If this celebrity actually does have HIV, what business is it to anyone else? Unless you’ve gone to the press yourself, any medical conditions you may have are private. End of.

3) Their use of the term “womanising”. What’s with the slut shaming? Everyone is entitled to a healthy sex life.