HIV-positive man sentenced to two years' jail for not telling sex partner about risk of infection
(File photo: AFP)
SINGAPORE: A 29-year-old man was jailed for two years on Wednesday (Aug 1) for having sex with a man without telling him that he ran the risk of contracting HIV infection from him.
The man, who cannot be named due to a gag order, had been previously diagnosed with HIV infection - a virus which attacks the immune system.Â
There is currently no cure for HIV infection, only treatment that suppresses the replication of the virus, delaying its spread and the onset of AIDS. Court documents did not reveal when the accused received the diagnosis.
After testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus, he was counselled by an officer from the National Public Health Unit, Ms Fiona Lee.
Ms Lee testified that she had advised the accused to inform his sex partners of his HIV-positive status if he wanted to engage in any sexual activity, so that his partners would be aware of the risk of HIV infection.
Despite this, the accused went on to have sex with a man on five or six occasions between 2012 and 2013 at his own home.
The accused did not inform the victim, whom he met online, about the risk of contracting HIV virus.
The victim found out that his partner was HIV-positive only in 2015, after the investigating officer informed him about it, and testified that he would not have had sex with the accused if he had known about his HIV status.
The prosecution asked for a sentence of at least 24 months' jail.
"While advancements in the treatment of HIV infection via anti-retroviral therapy mean that it is no longer the death sentence it used to be, HIV infection is an incurable, serious and life-changing disease, which still could result in fatality," said the prosecution.
District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt sentenced the man to 24 months' jail.
The man, who was represented by defence lawyers Remy Choo and Priscilla Chia, appealed against his conviction and sentence.
He could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to S$50,000.
