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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Illinois Could Repeal AIDS Notification Requirement For Schools


Illinois House Bill 61, which recently passed the House 61-55-1, would repeal a state law requiring that principals and superintendents be notified if a school-aged child has AIDS.

Sponsoring Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) explained that more is known now about HIV/AIDS and how it can be contracted, and that universal precaution is the best measure for addressing the disease.

Other representatives disagreed with the bill. For example, Rep. Chad Hayes (R-Catlin) felt it was inappropriate not to notify school officials of a child’s disease status, stating if a child had diabetes or epilepsy, the school would be informed. However, Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) argued that CDC has not recorded any cases of AIDS being contracted within school walls.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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