[Discussion] California SB239. Should knowingly infecting someone with HIV remain a felony?

Hi, I'm a microbiologist. Most of what you said is wrong. HIV still kills. It's still the largest pandemic and growing every year. The virus (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) aggressively attacks and kills immune cells and eventually finds its way into the bone marrow/thymus and kills any progenitor cells thus, wiping out the immune system of the host. Sure, we have medicine to treat it, but not anyway near accurate as you described. They are "life extenders" pretty much. People can live longer with HIV abut all of them eventually succumb to the infection and develop AIDS. AIDS is the total destruction of the host's immune system which (typically) leads to opportunistic pathogens already present in the host to grow out of control; unchecked due to the lack of an adaptive immune system.

HIV is still a death sentence. You are forced to choke down many pills a day which include multiple antivirals, vitamins, and other substances to boost immune health. Most of the medication is toxic over time, and the high mutation rate of HIV leads to resistance very easily.

Any exposure from one person to another, with the intention of harm should be considered a biological attack. It's okay if you have a cold and try to get through a work day, it's another to sneeze into a coworkers food in hopes they get sick. These are people's lives. And maybe you don't necessarily hurt them with a cold... but they bring it home and if they have newborns, cancer patients, elderly or any other Immunocompromised family members, it could be fatal.

You are wrong about Syphilis too. You are required to inform any sexual partners by law of any current STI infection regardless of how easy it is to treat. Any failure to do so can and should result in jail time.

/r/AskThe_Donald Thread Parent Link - leginfo.legislature.ca.gov