NCJ Number
122709
Journal
State Legislatures Volume: 16 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 20-21
Date Published
1990
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The stigma of AIDS makes victims of patients' families as well due to discrimination in services available and practices toward HIV-infected individuals and their families.
Abstract
HIV-related discrimination is difficult to document because persons with HIV are less likely to file a discrimination complaint and are often unsure of the remedies available to them. In addition, people with AIDS may find the complaint resolution process too long and not responsive enough when dealing with a terminal illness. Most States have laws prohibiting discrimination against the handicapped, and over half have formally extended this protection to include people with AIDS, AIDS-related complex, and HIV infection. Employment, health care, and housing are the areas most often covered by States' handicapped protection laws. Florida and Maine have statutes that forbid employers from discriminating against an individual on the basis of positive HIV test results. Several other States have prohibitions against employment discrimination on the basis of AIDS. Some State laws also have prohibitions against refusing to provide medical care to AIDS patients, confidentiality provisions, prohibitions against housing discrimination, and stipulations on insurance accessibility.