STIGMATISING HIV-positive men will not help the Egyptian government contain the spread of the disease. Officials are accused of using the HIV status of some gay men to bolster the case for jailing them under anti-gay laws, and violating human rights by forcing detainees to undergo HIV tests and intimate bodily examinations.
Last week, five men were put on trial, charged with the "habitual practice of debauchery" - a euphemism for homosexual sex. As the trial began, the lead government prosecutor told a lawyer for the defendants that the men, four of whom are HIV-positive, should not be allowed to "roam the streets freely" because the government considers them "a danger to public health". By linking HIV status to "debauched activities", the government risks undermining attempts to contain HIV, by discouraging people from getting tested and seeking treatment, says Joseph Amon of Human Rights Watch.
New Scientist (subscription), UK
