Greenwood Indiana Man Spreads HIV Virus

It sounds like a Law & Order episode, several women fall victim to a predator. A man becomes intimately involved with several women and neglects to tell them that he has AIDS.

Tony Perkins, 47, of Greenwood Indiana, has been arrested and charged with intentionally spreading the HIV virus that causes AIDS to at least 26 women according to Greenwoodstar.com. The arrest is a result of a 1993 law making it illegal for people with HIV, AIDS or Hepatitis B to conceal their status to partners.

Perkins went on Internet dating sites to meet women. Of the women Perkins met o, at least 26 of these them were intimate with him. A former girlfriend turned him into police, leading to his arrest on Friday, February 19, 2010.

Have we become a society that blames all our misfortunes on others? Are we responsible individually for our own actions? If we are in debt, we blame the credit card company for luring us in and then having hidden fees and escalating rates. If we are overweight, we blame the media for pressuring us to be thin, causing us to enter into a cycle of crash dieting and binging. If we have cancer after smoking for 20 years, we blame the tobacco companies for selling cigarettes. Now, if we contract a deadly disease from our decision to have sex with someone, we can blame our partner.

Should individuals disclose their HIV status to partners? Absolutely! Does that release us of the responsibility to inquire of our partners status and to take appropriate safety measures? Absolutely not! When we make a decision as an adult, shouldn't we be responsible for the result? Blaming others, instead of taking accountability for our actions, is not only immoral but a very immature way of living our lives. As a society and for the next generation, we need to encourage accountability.

Tony Perkins claims that the 26 women he had sex with are not victims. While his actions are deplorable, I agree with his statement. These women were not forced to have a sexual encounter with Perkins. As adult women, they made a choice. The consequences of their actions may alter their lives forever, however, to not place any of the blame upon their shoulders is wrong.

Tony Perkins pleaded guilty in Johnson Superior Court. Sentencing is set for April 21, 2010.

John Tuohy, www.indystar.com/article/20100225/LOCAL0402/2250443/-1/LOCAL0402/Police-AIDS-patient-put-26-women-at-risk, Indystar