National Post - HIV no longer a death sentence: judge

An Ottawa judge’s rejection of attempted murder charges against a man accused of knowingly transmitting HIV, saying it is no longer an “automatic death sentence,” reflects medical reality and should send a message to police and prosecutors, Canada’s AIDS experts say. [...]

The ruling speaks to the medical advances made in fighting HIV/AIDS in the 30 years since the virus first started terrifying the gay community, but also suggests police and prosecutors have not moved with the times, AIDS specialists and activists said.

“In a country like Canada, where antiretroviral drugs of the highest quality are available to everyone free of charge, the likelihood anyone is going to die over the next 25 years from HIV is extremely remote,” said Mark Wainberg, director of the McGill AIDS Centre based at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.