Illinois Gov. Signs Sweeping AIDS Package
Gov. James R. Thompson today signed into law a comprehensive package of AIDS bills that provide for pre-marriage AIDS testing, voluntary tracing of AIDS victims’ sex partners, court-ordered quarantines, education in schools and strict confidentiality.
But Thompson rejected measures requiring AIDS victims to identify their sex partners for the last seven years and track them down, and mandating the testing of prisoners and most hospital patients.
The action followed the signing Sunday of two AIDS-related measures: one requiring the teaching of abstinence before marriage during public school sex education classes, and the other mandating the testing of all donated blood, a procedure already required by state Public Health Department rules.
Thompson signed a measure requiring couples wanting to wed to submit to an AIDS test. The plan requires the individuals to pay the test costs and for results to be given to both individuals.
It also allows the testing of those convicted of sex offenses.
The measure calling for voluntary tracing of AIDS victims’ sex partners also requires doctors and laboratories to report AIDS cases to the state health department.
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