Originally Posted by Libertine

Here's a little schematic of why we need to protect even them. Numbers indicate different "generations" of infection, relative to the source of our little epidemic. Letters indicate the route the infection took.

1A: Heroin-addicted prostitute.

2AA: Heroin-addicted prostitute #2. (needle-sharing)
2AB: Perverted housefather. (unprotected sex)
2AC: Drunken fratboy. (unprotected sex)

3AAA: Heroin-addicted prostitute #3. (needle-sharing)
3AAB: Perverted housefather #2. (unprotected sex)
3AAC: Drunken fratboy #2. (unprotected sex)
3ABA: Unsuspecting wife. (unprotected sex)
3ACA: Unsuspecting girlfriend. (unprotected sex)
3ACB: Party girl who has a one night stand. (unprotected sex)

4AAAA: Heroin-addicted prostitute #3. (needle-sharing)
4AAAB: Perverted housefather #3. (unprotected sex)
4AAAC: Drunken fratboy #3. (unprotected sex)
4AABA: Unsuspecting wife #2. (unprotected sex)
4AACA: Unsuspecting girlfriend #2. (unprotected sex)
4AACB: Party girl who has a one night stand #2. (unprotected sex)
4ACAA: New boyfriend. (unprotected sex)
4ACBA: Party guy. (unprotected sex)

See how that works out for the rest of society? And 4ACAA could easily be almost anyone... quite a number of people have sex with their long-term partners without testing for HIV beforehand. And hey, it's safe, right? After all, she's never slept around, maybe only ever slept with two or three guys in her entire life, in what she thought were monogamous relationships.

If you consider the fact that a single needle-sharing druggie can be the starting source for dozens (or hundreds - there isn't really a limit) of infections, protecting those sad junkies is pretty damn worth it.