Human rights and the HIV paradox

Faced with the grave challenge to public health posed by HIV infection, governments are obliged to “do something”. One response, which often finds favour with the general public, is to enact laws that criminalise the activities of certain target groups. However, such laws marginalise individuals in these groups and have very little impact on containment of the epidemic. It is far better to introduce measures that protect the rights of people most at risk of infection and thereby encourage and sustain behaviour modification.