A German pop singer who has sold over 5 million records was arrested for infecting a partner with HIV. Nadja Benaissa, a member of the popular girl group No Angels, was arrested Saturday night in Frankfurt. This comes after the high profile case of Johnson Aziga, the first man found guilty of murder for transmitting the disease.
The public prosecutor's office said, “urgent suspicion that the accused had unprotected sexual intercourse with three people in the years 2004 and 2006 without telling them beforehand that she was HIV positive".
I think this arrest along with Aziga's case are going to lead to a discussion of criminal transmission of HIV, and why not start here? Let me know what you think about this case and the issue in general.
– Andy
I think this scares the hell out of me. I really believe that a major chunk of the responsibilty should rest on the person who believes he or she is negative. They must always play safe. It is kind of like the perfection of the male birth control pill (if it ever happens). What women would ever trust a man who says he is using the pill when she is utilimately the person who will carry the baby and be burdend with most of the responsiblility. Responsiblity lies on both sides. I hope this makes sense.
IIIIII think that if you know you definately are positive its your responsibility to disclose that information. I mean c’mon, so where is the logic in well if they don’t ask I don’t tell…this isn’t the fuckin army.
I know, I know. And I am not trying to defend myself but I still think everyone should always play safe. If you are safe then the risk is very low.
Wrestletp, that doesn’t make any sense at all, and here is why: condoms are not absolutely 100% effective. That’s why it’s called “safer sex” versus “safe sex.” Condoms leak and condoms break. So if you are HIV-positive, you have the obligation to let your partner know, so that he or she can make the decision of whether or not to risk their own health through having sex with you. Otherwise, you are enabling a dangerous situation that, given all of the pertinent information about your health, your partner may want to avoid.
I believe that people in other countries are way too strict on how they see HIV. I mean yes, this disease is a growing pandemic but to arrest someone for infecting another is outrageous. That is like arresting a person for infecting someone else with TB and it kills them. There are better ways to deal it, and handling it in a criminal way is not one of them. People have the option to be safe or not to be safe, and there are risks either way.
I say prosecute away. It should be mandatory to get tested, and mandatory to tell your partner. Not disclosing your status is the same as lying. People should have safe sex all the time, but obviously hell will freeze over before that happens.
Riddle me this someone….I just took a HIV test (which came back neg) but it was taken by swiping the inside cheek of my mouth. The test giver told me HIV cell live in the mouth thats why they can test for HIV this way…hummm?? If this is so whats a condom on a cock have to do with getting HIV…it seem to me that BJ and kissing can spread HIV the same way, the chances may be low but its still there, otherwise why can the HIV test find HIV cells in your mouth??
Just a thought, what really is “safe sex”??
Anyone who’s negative (or hasn’t been tested in a long time but thinks/hopes they’re negative) should be playing within their own personal safe-sex boundaries AT ALL TIMES. It is each person’s responsibility to protect themselves. Yes, poz people also have a responsibility not to knowingly spread HIV to others, but ultimately everyone is accountable to themselves for their own health. We all know that any kind of sex with others comes with some sort of possible risk, be it HIV or syphilis or herpes or warts or whatever. So it’s up to everyone to decide for themselves what they will or won’t do.
Common sense should be everyone’s bottom line. Which means, no matter what, when it comes to butt fucking (or hetero fucking), CONDOMS ALWAYS. Oral sex is a different story, as scientists and doctors to this day do not agree about the level of risk involved. (Most agree that dental hygiene plays a role.) However, we all know that fucking raw is a high-risk activity — for the “top,” too, guys. Don’t forget that. Too many men think they can’t get infected if they’re just topping. Ain’t true. If you don’t have condoms around, stick to handjobs and maybe oral. And if you choose to play without condoms, then don’t you ultimately have only yourself to blame if you seroconvert? That guy who tells you he’s neg might be lying (which of course is wrong on his part) — or he might not know. So be smart and take care of yourself.
I’m a bit uncomfortable with criminalizing sex. There’s an issue of ethics here (yes, the singer should have told those people she was poz), but that’s distinct from what (if any) good comes from involving the law here. It seems like a slippery slope to me … What about bartenders who serve people who are already drunk? If that person gets in an accident on the way home, whose fault is it? Is the bartender to blame for participating in the other person’s willful disregard for their own safety?
Chidude, thanks. I think you expressed better what I was trying to say. And SC, I think you are right to a certain degree. But asking a person (or telling a person) you are negative is also very risky as Chidude indicated. I told people up to the day I converted that I was negative. I wasn’t lying. I just did not know. And I felt horrible for it. Still do. And yes, I am pretty darn sure I got HIV by topping. I thought it was impossible. But when I am wrong I am wrong. Do I blame the other guy? NO, NO, NO. It was my responsibility not his. Still……. sigh!
as said, it already happened to me.
watch out for anyone that calls themself mikko and supposedly live in calgary… >.>
Anyone knows why HIV cells are in your mouth? I don’t want to hear that the “verdict” is still out shit!! I to had a HIV test from my mouth…so I agree with Dave HIV can be gotten from blow jobs!! Don’t be fooled guys into thinking it’s all about anal sex…if HIV is in a infected cock and that cock goes in the MOUTH and that person sucks it and downs pre-cum or cum, chances are you could get HIV! I know of a 24yo guy who never had anal sex, he was oral only and he is HIV now and that person is ME!!! I wish someone had told me!! SO YES Dave you can get HIV from sucking cock!!
Take this info from an HIV tester/counselor:
There are 5 bodily fluids through which you can contract HIV: blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-cum, and breastmilk (Note that saliva is not among the 5).
First, while small amounts of the HIV virus are present in the saliva of a HIV+ individual, saliva itself is not a vector for transmission of the disease. Also, kissing is a non-issue when it comes to transmission as well. The CDC has never seen as case of HIV transmission via saliva, and the only case that involved transmission by kissing involved an individual who was bleeding inside their mouth.
When giving oral sex, you need to have a cut inside your mouth, an open sore, etc. Brushing your teeth or flossing prior to oral sex leaves tiny fissures along your gumline that provide a point of entry for the HIV virus. When getting oral sex, a cut, sore, or similar opening (does not need to be visible) needs to be present on your cock.
Furthermore, swallowing/not swallowing is NOT the issue here. The acids in your stomach and intestinal tract kill the virus almost instantly. It is the blood to blood contact that you may never know happens that enables transmission.
Suffice it to say, HIV transmission rates are extremely low for oral sex, but certainly not impossible, so wrap it up if you have any doubts about you or your partner’s oral hygiene.
Mkl – I am sorry to hear about your situation. Stay strong!
For more info about HIV/AIDS, go to http://www.cdc.gov or http://www.thebody.com
dave, don’t make assumptions without doing the research. That kind of leaping to conclusions is what makes HIV so stigmatized among ignorant people. And you didn’t listen very carefully to the person administering your test, evidently: there are no such things as “HIV cells”. Viruses do not have cells, they are much smaller structures that infect cells and use them to reproduce.
Chidude, common sense is one thing, but fucking with condoms is just plain not as enjoyable for a lot of people. We have the right to make our own decision about taking that risk for the sake of better sex. Of course, we have the right to make an INFORMED decision, so I absolutely believe that failure to disclose should be criminal.
I always tell my partners that I was neg at my last test but I like to bareback which means there is risk – that way I won’t end up like wrestletp, feeling guilty that I didn’t present an accurate picture of the situation.
Mandatory testing, though, Azriel… too many privacy issues. I don’t think it is something that your government or doctor necessarily has the right to know.
wrestletp, why do you think you got it from topping rather than bottoming or sucking dick? I would love to know more to present to my friends who insist there are no proven cases of guys who only top getting infected.( Mostly poz friends who want me to fuck them, despite my increased risk from being uncut.)
That is a shame mkl… if I may ask, did you just assume oral was totally safe, or were you misinformed by someone? This is why we need better sex education, especially in the U.S..
Josh, what about the study a year or so ago indicating that there are high concentrations of HIV in rectal secretions, more than even in blood? But good for you, helping people understand that not every place the virus is present presents an infection risk. If I recall correctly, there are trace amounts of virus in tears and sweat too, but not near enough to present any significant risk of infection, right?
E-man, I am glad to respond to your question. Of course, no one can be 100% sure of how they got HIV if they are sexually active and do all possible sexual activities. But in my case I rarely suck dick (not my thing and I have excellent oral hygiene, that is I do not have bleeding gums) and rarely get fucked and always with a condom. I had syphilis about six months before I got word of my HIV. It is believed that HIV will transmit easily with syphilis. I can not be totally sure but have been reassured by many doctors that HIV has been known to transmit with syphilis. I also hate condoms. I was stupid enough to think topping was safe. My mistake and I advise others of my experience often. I really believe that there should be more education about fucking without a condom may not always be safe.
Yes E-man, there are trace amounts in tears and saliva, but nothing of consequence. Sweat is up for debate: some studies claim to have found trace amounts, others say none. Either way, it is negligible.
As far as the rectal secretions, it really doesn’t matter one way or another if it is coming from the secretions or the blood when you have unprotected anal sex. What I mean by that is the membranes inside the anus (and the vagina) are so incredibly delicate and thin (like wet rice paper) that transfer from one medium to another is quite easy. All of this is solved quite easily by using a condom. Which, I must say, are incredibly effective and break/tear a LOT less than people believe (experiment with one that is NOT expired and you will see what I mean).
As far as your comment on topping and HIV risk, you can certainly contract HIV when having unprotected sex with an HIV+ bottom, although the risk is less when you top than when you bottom. I know plenty of guys that have gotten it from topping, so don’t let anyone tell you it’s impossible. I’m going to stop there because this leads into a larger discussion of factors such as the viral load of the bottom, vectors of transmission, etc. A lot of it is random chance!
Lastly, to wrestletp – I am sorry that you are having to deal with HIV. Like I said before, keep informed and stay strong. And your doctors are right, the HIV virus loves to travel with other STD’s like syphilis and gonorrhea, just like gonorrhea and chlamydia are often passed along together.
Know your status!!!!