HIV-Positive Student

A young 13 year old boy was denied admission to a Boarding school in Hersey, Pennsylvania because he is HIV Positive.

This news is causing a big debate regarding HIV and the youth.  Should kids with HIV be allowed into Boarding schools?

Well according to the Milton Hersey Boarding school the answer is no.  The school claims that this young child is a health threat to other students.  Being that students live at the school, officials fear that this young student will have sexual relations with other students and contaminate them with the HIV virus.


While I applaud the school for making an effort to protect the students, I feel they have gone a bit too far.

1. First their presumption that these kids will be sexually active is exaggerated.  
2. Second, HIV is not spread with a sneeze, handshake or any common physical contact.  
3. Third, the "HIV Cocktail" is known to prevent the HIV virus from making a home in the immune system if taken after sexual relations with someone who is infected.  However, the rate of success is about 95%.   Nevertheless it is still effective.  

I hope this school will allow this student to enter and not give him anymore trouble.  HIV is still a serious infection, but education is the best way to defeat it.  We can control it now better than we did in the 1980's.



Source:  http://abcnews.go.com/US/hiv-student-denied-admission-hershey-school/story?id=15074075#.TtxbFrIr27s