[PASSED] Universal STI Counteraction

[Thousand Branches]

We’re at vote!

[Otaku Stratus]

This resolution seems to cover everything but what it should.

[Fachumonn]

The Libertarian Socialist Confederation has voted FOR this proposal.

[Lone survivers]

I know, it´s a little late now, but doesn´t fall the state itself under 'any kind of law enforcement' ? And wouldn´t this contradictory ?

[Toonela]

Out of curiosity, what was the rationale for setting the bar so high regarding the circumstances in which the testing organization may not contact a listed individual?

Privately contact, to the best of their ability and only when contact would not directly endanger the lives of any involved parties, each member of the positive individual’s list to inform those individuals of the possibility of contact and to recommend immediate testing.

I may be mistaken, but my interpretation of this phrase seems to leave open the possibility that an abusive partner could be informed immediately of the tested individual's status, with no mechanism for protecting them from potential, additional harm as a result of the disclosure.

[Thousand Branches]

Out of curiosity, what was the rationale for setting the bar so high regarding the circumstances in which the testing organization may not contact a listed individual?

Privately contact, to the best of their ability and only when contact would not directly endanger the lives of any involved parties, each member of the positive individual’s list to inform those individuals of the possibility of contact and to recommend immediate testing.

I may be mistaken, but my interpretation of this phrase seems to leave open the possibility that an abusive partner could be informed immediately of the tested individual's status, with no mechanism for protecting them from potential, additional harm as a result of the disclosure.

Hence “and only when contact would not directly endanger the lives of any involved parties”

[Toonela]

Hence “and only when contact would not directly endanger the lives of any involved parties”

Yes, that is the exact phrase I just quoted. My concern lies with the need for this harm to occur directly, which seems like the kind of modifier a testing organization could point to when attempting to absolve themselves of responsibility for a consequence of disclosure.

Well, regardless, it's well past the drafting stage, and your response at least answered my initial question regarding rationale, so thank you! That was the only question I had. It is a well put together text.

[Princess Rainbow Sparkles]

The World Assembly hereby mandates that:

All member states must offer free (or fully insurance-covered) * * * universally accessible solutions to sexually transmitted infections, including but not limited to: * * * Effective antibiotic or antiviral treatment/medication for all STI; these must be available to any resident who has tested positive for an STI of any form until such treatment or medication is no longer necessary or the patient is no longer a WA resident.

This is a great aspirational statement, but I don't think it actually works as a legal mandate. We all know by now that a novel infection can come around, and an effective treatment "solution" can be years (possibly decades) away. Let's say super-herpes evolves and scientists cannot develop an effective treatment right away. All members would be in breach of international law because they cannot offer a thing that doesn't exist.

We could also pause for a moment to wonder why individuals with STIs should be entitled to free treatment. Requiring individuals to pay some costs associated with their own treatment doesn't seem inherently immoral to me. But, anyway, the "fully insurance-covered" option allows nations to avoid providing free care. If people are offered insurance that would fully cover STI treatment (presumably at an increased premium cost), and they opt out, nations need not provide free care. I'm satisfied by that compromise, even if I find the idea of "free" anything a bit rash and naïve.

Member residents, upon testing positive for an STI, must, to the best of their ability, provide a list of all persons they may have come in transmissible contact with since the date they last tested negative for that STI. The clinic or organization that tested that individual must:

1. Privately contact, to the best of their ability and only when contact would not directly endanger the lives of any involved parties, each member of the positive individual’s list to inform those individuals of the possibility of contact and to recommend immediate testing.
2. Delete the provided list immediately after completion.
3. Never share any of the provided information with law enforcement of any kind.
4. Not, under any circumstances, share records of an individual's transmissible contacts with any party other than the person receiving the positive test, their transmissible contacts, or the clinic performing the test, excepting circumstances where all of the aforementioned parties consent to the disclosure,

Yikes, the implications of a legal requirement that people with STIs turn over a list of everyone they've banged since their last negative test are staggering. I guess privacy really is dead.

Anyway, I wonder how well something like this would actually work in practice. Probably not well. Lots of folks would have reason to withhold this information from the government (i.e. married people having affairs, individuals in DV relationships, politicians, etc.) even with legal assurances that the list would be destroyed and not inadvertently shared (because we all know there are never government leaks, right *eye roll*). I feel like the better framework would have been a simple legal requirement that the individual with the STI contact people they may have infected on their own with the option of a government service to aid them, rather than a requirement to disclose to the government and the creation of an STI notification squad. But what's done is done.

The World Health Authority (WHA) must, using funds allocated from the WA General Fund, ensure that adequately accessible STI testing, treatment, and medication are available across member states that cannot afford such solutions * * *

Ah, the magic bullet to side step questions about the cost of this endeavor. Some things never go out of style. Having the WA cover all the costs we don't want to think about is one of them. Love it.

[Thousand Branches]

To put it frankly, this isn’t a perfect draft. As per usual, the somewhat lack of engaging rhetoric on it before it made it to vote is somewhat to blame as well as my relative inexperience in the area. That being said, it still does its job well and I’m happy to see it pass. Most of the feedback here is actually really solid and if it were to fail, most of it could be implemented. If ya’ll had engaged any time earlier this might have been an even better resolution

[Vietstalia]

We are trying to make-spread diseases. We thus are every-rat against this no-fur scheme.

OPPOSED

[Tuseth]

A tall, slender woman with auburn hair and green eyes stands up, tapping her mic. Her nameplate reads 'Isabel Vaygea, Tusethian Delegate to the World Assembly.'

"Ahem... is this thing on? Ah, there we go. I don't see why anybody would dislike a proposal to give their citizens basic STI education and healthcare. Even the capitalists know that universal healthcare's important for social functioning! I mean, seriously, who would just let their citizens die from easily preventable diseases because they're afraid of people learning how a penis works?!"

Her voice seems to get progressively louder as she begins a rant before being pulled aside by a member of the Tusethian police, who informs her she is under arrest for being a counter-revolutionary and foreign spy. She quietly cries as the officer drags her off in handcuffs. A well-dressed man approaches the stand where Isabel once stood.

"Ah, hello. I'm the new World Assembly delegate. Apologies for the interruption, but Isabel here was under investigation for a while, and we felt like we couldn't delay her arrest any longer - Trotskyite scum was feeding information to the imperialists. Who would have guessed? Anyway, Tuseth emphatically votes yes to the proposal."

[Tuseth]

We are trying to make-spread diseases. We thus are every-rat against this no-fur scheme.

OPPOSED

The newly-appointed, nameless World Assembly delegate gives the stink eye.

"Of course you people would oppose the proposal, you scumbags."

[Caymarnia]

[Admiral Pellerin looks in amusement at the slight kerfluffle with the delegate from Tuseth.]

While not as... enthusiastic as the esteemed former delegate from Tuseth (may your death be swift and merciful, comrade), we believe similarly in proper education and prevention measures for sexually-transmitted diseases. Preventing the spread of STIs is in fact one of the few things we actually agree on with the former imperial regime, albeit without the eugenicist "kill them all and let insert-your-god-here sort them out" mentality. Proper education is also a necessity, to break through to our people after they had spent years under an information blackout.

In accordance with this afternoon's vote of the National Council of the People's Will, Caymarnia votes for the resolution.

[Vietstalia]

We are trying to make-spread diseases. We thus are every-rat against this no-fur scheme.

OPPOSED

The newly-appointed, nameless World Assembly delegate gives the stink eye.

"Of course you people would oppose the proposal, you scumbags."

You should check-see your walls man-thing.

[Foxsoco]

Greetings delegates,

The Democratic Socialist States of Foxsoco is in support of this resolution. We believe that providing free universal STI counteraction will help in the economic development of all nations, rich or or poor. Not only is this great in terms of economics, but this resolution is also humane and common sense.

Every nation against this resolution for purposes other than the language of the proposal are actively hurting global democracy and human development. They must reconsider their position immediately.

In solidarity,
President Anshel Isha
"Intelligence Prevails"
Electronically Signed 1893049-2849

[Your High Student]

Hell no.

[Barbariax]

This proposal is well-intended but would create a burden on poorer states which cannot support that level of healthcare, and on richer states which must subsidize those poorer states. It also seems authoritarian because it has a surveillance component and mandates individual behavior, which is against civil liberties. For example, some might oppose on religious grounds or having a particular STI could be traditionally important in some cultures. Barbariax votes no and hopes this will be quickly repealed.

[Xanthorrhoea]

…having a particular STI could be traditionally important in some cultures

wat

[Fachumonn]

…having a particular STI could be traditionally important in some cultures

wat

this this this.

[Barbariax]

People do all sorts of weird things, imposing your norms on strangers is authoritarian.

[Tinhampton]

Can you name me one culture which values the contraction of STIs and why?

[Barbariax]

There are countless nations and countless peoples, it was only a hypothetical and Barbariax does not have to provide a specific example to prove the proposal is flawed.

[Xanthorrhoea]

People do all sorts of weird things, imposing your norms on strangers is authoritarian.

In this case ambassador, I believe imposing our norms is simply hygienic.