January 4, 2010 | Health Matters

HIV travel band lifted today in US

The 22-year-old law that banned HIV-positive people from entering the US is now officially over.

Declaring that the initial ban was a  "decision rooted in fear rather than fact," Barack Obama said it needed to be lifted. It was considered one of the most restrictive immigration policies in the world for people with HIV.

Youth worker Clemens Ruland, 45, from the Netherlands, will be the first HIV positive foreigner to officially be allowed into the country. He will be welcomed by gay group Immigration Equality.

Lisa Power, from UK-based Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "It's ridiculous that for over 20 years people living with HIV have been banned from entering the US simply because of a medical condition. Blanket entry bans have no justification on public health grounds and only increase stigma. We hope other countries with similar bans in place will now remove them too."

Obama hoped lifting the ban was seen as a "step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment. It's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives."

US HIV travel ban lifted today [PinkNews]