Charles A. Erin and John Harris

About the author: Charles A. Erin and John Harris wrote the following paper as part of the development of the project for the Commission of the European Communities entitled "AIDS: Ethics, Justice and European Policy." They both work at the Centre for Social Ethics and Policy at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.

As the AIDS epidemic grows, so does discrimination toward HIVpositive individuals. Society has an obligation to guarantee that those who are HIV-positive are treated fairly. If society fulfilled this obligation, infected people, as well as those who suspect they might be infected, would likely feel obligated to behave responsibly toward others by having themselves tested and notifying their partners of their HIV status. By fostering...