United Press International (07/01/92)
London--Health officials in Birmingham, England, announced that a man who
infected several women with HIV has demonstrated a "positive" response to
counselling. The man was discovered last week to have had unprotected
sex with several women while knowing he was HIV-positive. The case
incited nationwide controversy among health officials, legal experts, and
politicians over the ethics of the case. Last week, health authorities
contemplated applying for a court order to have the man confined under
public health legislation. But officials conceded they had no legal
authority to force the man to curb his sexual activity. Health officials
decided late last week that the man, a hemophiliac who contracted HIV via
contaminated blood, had not intentionally transmitted the disease to his
sexual partners, claiming his acts were motivated by "regrettable
irresponsibility." The South Birmingham Health Authority said that no
additional legal action would be taken against the man. "The view was
taken by the panel that the considerable publicity given to the case over
the past week, and the further counselling which has been given provide
grounds for cautious optimism that the man will behave in a more
responsible manner in the future," said the authority.