Such attitudes did not arise in a vacuum, however, and even if one accepts that such fears no longer have any basis in reality, they cannot be wished or legislated out of existence. Any measure that exacerbates them is counterproductive to our goal of controlling the epidemic and identifying infected individuals. HIV infection is now spreading disproportionately through economically disadvantaged populations, which are often disenfranchised from the health-care system. We should be trying to bring those people into the system rather than driving them away. The magnitude of benefit achievable with any one of these measures could be enormous.
None requires coercion.
None requires legislation. I suggest we try them first. Join the debate in The Body Politic .