U.S. HIV travel ban removed

Photograph - Meironke

Some might say they were long overdue but on 4 January 2010, the United States introduced new immigration rules relating to HIV and in doing so, they eliminated a 22-year restriction on entry into the U.S. for people infected with HIV. The ban was imposed at the height of a worldwide panic about HIV and AIDS in the late 1980s.

This removal of entry restrictions means that people living with HIV will now be able to follow routine immigration procedures to visit and migrate to the U.S. This timely change in U.S. law has also removed an obstacle that had been jeopardising the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012), which has now been confirmed to take place in Washington, DC from 22 to 27 July 2012.

International AIDS Society President-Elect Dr. Elly Katabira, Professor of Medicine at Makerere University in Uganda, who will serve as the International Chair of AIDS 2012 said “The return of the conference to the United States is the result of years of dedicated advocacy to end a misguided policy based on fear, rather than science, and represents a significant victory for public health and human rights…” 

HIVfacts: For a complete list of countries and their policies for people living with HIV visit  NAMLIFE