The ACT government’s handling of a case involving an HIV-positive sex worker has been branded "clumsy" and "alarmist" by National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA).

Last week saw mainstream media headlines proclaiming ‘Sex worker exposes 250 to HIV’. The man, 41, of Kingston appeared in ACT Magistrates Court in January charged with knowingly infecting someone with a sexually transmitted disease and failing to register as a sex worker. At the time, the details of the disease were not known but last week ACT Chief Health Officer Charles Guest revealed it was HIV.

NAPWA accused the ACT health department of failing to follow basic public health guidelines and of creating unnecessary community concern over the case.

“We are really concerned about the way this has been handled,” said NAPWA Executive Director Jo Watson.

“The appropriate public health approach has not been followed in the case of this individual; instead he’s been subjected to trial by media … It appears ACT Health has panicked and bypassed the significant public health interventions at its disposal, choosing instead to refer this case to the police. This is not helpful … it perpetuates stigma against people with HIV, and it discourages people at risk of HIV from testing and treatment.”

NAPWA also slammed the decision by the ACT chief health officer to release personal details about the accused to the media. “For a government agency to release personal and confidential information in this way has been a great shock and affront to many of us … It is dangerous to the individual, dangerous to those who are by implication connected to his alleged activities, and dangerous for anyone living with HIV to see human rights and personal dignities trampled over in this way.”

National sex worker organisation Scarlet Alliance also joined in the condemnation of the ACT health department.

“Scarlet Alliance does not support the decision from ACT Health to release details on the individuals' HIV status. In our opinion this information being released out of court will significantly prejudice a fair trial,” said CEO Janelle Fawkes.

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