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美國五角大廈的新政策允許HIV陽性服役人員被部署調派,並保有

美國五角大廈的新政策允許HIV陽性服役人員被部署調派,並保有軍職

艾倫.米切爾- 2022年6月7日 / The Hill

 

 

根據美國國防部周二宣布的一份新備忘錄,五角大廈的最新政策可防止美國軍方將病毒量已無法檢測到的HIV陽性現役軍人隔離開來,並允許他們於部隊中被調派部署。

該指南於週一發布,首次扭轉了國防部自1980年代HIV在美國傳播後所實施的政策。這項過時的政策允許指揮官非自願地將已感染HIV的部隊予以分開,並阻止他們被調派部署並禁止入伍之部隊任官。

「鑑於人類免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)的診斷、治療和預防方面已取得了重大進展,有必要更新國防部針對被確認為 HIV 陽性者的政策」,國防部長勞埃德.奧斯汀 (Lloyd Austin) 在備忘錄中寫道。

根據五角大樓的最新政策,「被確認為HIV陽性、並無症狀且經臨床證實其病毒載量已無法檢測者,這些現役人員不得僅基於其HIV為陽性之狀態,便對其可被部署調派性及執行任務的能力上加以限制」,奧斯汀補充道。

「這些人也不會僅僅因為他們HIV陽性的狀況而被除役或分離」。

目前約有2,000名HIV陽性的軍人在美國軍隊中服役。

直到最近,這些陸、海、空軍中的成員還生活在害怕被除役或被禁止任官的恐懼中,僅只是因為他們感染了這種病毒。

但在4月,維吉尼亞州的一名聯邦法官裁定,不能僅因這些人的HIV感染狀況導致他們被分開或阻止他們被委派任務。

該案件是由服役單位試圖將兩名空軍予以除役以及一名華盛頓特區陸軍國民警衛隊士官被阻止成為法官辯護人後所提出的。

然而,新政策不允許已感染HIV的個人參軍。唯一的例外情況將根據具體情況逐案進行審查,分別是,即如已經穿上制服的人或軍事學院學員或見習生在軍隊或調試計畫中被診斷出感染了病毒。

如果服役人員或軍事學院的人員檢測出HIV呈陽性,他們「將被轉介接受適當的治療和醫療評估」。如果發現他們的病毒量是可控的,並且在一定時間內沒有症狀,他們可以繼續在軍中服役。

奧斯汀還指示一個工作小組為逐案確定去制定標準,包括個人要保有他們的軍職時必須維持在病毒無法檢出狀態的時間段長短。

根據備忘錄,這些指導方針將在六個月內提交給五角大廈的負責人。

此外,軍種單位秘書人員必須每六個月報告一次他們已將其分離的HIV陽性部隊人數,以及拒絕加入的無法檢測到病毒的HIV陽性部隊人數。

 

 

 

New Pentagon policy allows HIV-positive service members to deploy, remain in uniform

BY ELLEN MITCHELL – 06/07/22 / The Hill

 

 

Updated Pentagon policy prevents the U.S. military from separating HIV-positive service members with an undetectable viral load and also allows them to be deployed, according to a new Defense Department memo announced Tuesday. 

The guidance, released Monday, reverses previous DOD policy that had been in place since the 1980s, after HIV first began spreading in the U.S. That outdated policy allowed commanders to involuntarily separate troops with HIV, prevent them from deploying and barred enlisted troops from becoming an officer. 

“In view of significant advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), it is necessary to update DoD policy with respect to individuals who have been identified as HIV-positive,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in the memo. 

Under the Pentagon’s updated policies, “individuals who have been identified as HIV-positive, are asymptomatic, and who have a clinically confirmed undetectable viral load will have no restrictions applied to their deployability or to their ability to commission while a Service member solely on the basis of their HIV-positive status,” Austin adds.  

“Nor will such individuals be discharged or separated solely on the basis of their HIV-positive status.” 

Some 2,000 service members who are HIV positive currently serve in the U.S. military. 

Up until recently, those troops, sailors and airmen lived under the fear of being discharged or barred from becoming an officer just for having the virus. 

But in April a federal judge in Virginia ruled such individuals’ HIV status could not solely lead to them being separated or prevent their commissioning. 

That case was brought forward by two airmen the service attempted to discharge, plus a D.C. Army National Guard noncommissioned officer who was prevented from becoming a judge advocate. 

The new policy does not, however, allow individuals with an existing HIV-positive status to join the military. The only exception to that, which will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis, is if a person who is already in uniform or a military service academy cadet or midshipman is diagnosed with the virus while already in the military or a commissioning program, respectively. 

Should a service member or person in a service academy test positive for HIV, they “will be referred for appropriate treatment and a medical evaluation.”  If their viral load is found to be controllable and they are symptom free for a certain period, they can remain in service.  

Austin also directed a working group to create standards for the case-by-case determinations, including the period of time an individual has to stay undetectable to be keep their uniform. 

The guidelines are due to the Pentagon chief in six months, according to the memo. 

In addition, every six months the service secretaries must report the number of HIV-positive troops they have separated, and the number of undetectable HIV-positive troops refused accession. 

 

 

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