Human Rights for AIDS Patients

AIDS not only penetrates a person's immune system it can also lead to violations of a person's human rights. For this reason, the forcible isolation of AIDS patients will be abolished.
The new law will be in force beginning in March, 1999, the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported on December 9 to the National Assembly.
The Ministry also amended the clause that required AIDS patients to be diagnosed only at 37 designated hospitals, such as Seoul National University, throughout the country. The revised law will allow patients to be treated equally at any hospital in the country.
Currently the majority of hospitals turned away patients because they were not nominated as AIDS hospitals by the government.
Patient who wish to remain anonymous, will not have to register their names and addresses with hospitals or clinics.
However, experts warned, there still remains human rights' violations such as the forcible testing of prostitutes and massage workers.