Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International; Friday June 26 12:25 AM EDT
The justices ruled today that HIV-positive people are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which bars discrimination against the disabled. HIV infection is considered the precursor to AIDS.
In a statement released after the ruling by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the Boston-based public interest firm that represented her, Sidney Abbott said she was devastated when a dentist in Bangor, Maine, refused to treat her in his office.
Court records say Dr. Randon Bragdon offered to treat her in a hospital setting, but Abbott and her attorneys contended that Bragdon had no affiliation with a hospital and was just trying to avoid treating her.
Abbott said in her statement, "I experienced firsthand the fear and misunderstanding which has surrounded HIV since the beginning of the epidemic."
She added later: "Today, better medical treatments are providing hope for people living with HIV. But the old fears and ignorance about HIV are still around. If we are to defeat this epidemic, we must make sure that every person in this country learns the facts about HIV."
(No. 97-156, Bragdon vs. Abbott et al.)
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