Planned Parenthood: HIV-Positive People Have 'Right' to Hide Status From Sexual Partners

A recently discovered booklet distributed by International Planned Parenthood Federation states that HIV-positive people have “rights” to not disclose their health condition to their sexual partners if they do not wish to do so. The International Planned Parenthood Federation is an official affiliate of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which calls into question whether the American Planned Parenthoods feel the same way.

In a booklet titled “Healthy, Happy and Hot” geared towards young people who have tested positive for HIV, Planned Parenthood advises, “Young people living with HIV have the right to decide if, when, and how to disclose their HIV status. … Sharing your HIV status is called disclosure. Your decision about whether to disclose may change with different people and situations. You have the right to decide if, when, and how to disclose your HIV status.”

Apparently, Planned Parenthood thinks it is a “violation” of HIV-positive people’s “rights” that they can be charged with a crime in 35 states for not revealing their HIV status to sexual partners. By teaching HIV-positive people that it is ok to hold back this information, Planned Parenthood is saying the rights of HIV-positive people to be sexually free are more important than the rights of their partners to a healthy life.  

In fact, the pamphlet even finishes with a note urging HIV-positive people to get involved to help change laws that violate rights, including the laws that force these people to reveal their dangerous health condition.

Data from 2013 shows that 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, and it is estimated that around 20% of these infected people are completely unaware of their condition. Now, knowing that Planned Parenthood encourages HIV-positive people to maintain their silence, it is no wonder that many are left shocked and confused when they discover they tested positive for HIV.