A.ld.s. Carrier Still Sought (Press, 5 August 1989)

On 5 August 1989, Tania Spence, a 22-year-old transsexual prostitute in Sydney, publicly admitted to continuing her profession despite being diagnosed with A.I.D.S. during an appearance on the Channel 9 programme "A Current Affair." This marked her as the second woman in the city to come forward about working while infected with the disease. Spence revealed that she has had sexual relations with thousands of men since she contracted A.I.D.S. four years ago while incarcerated at Long Bay Jail. Although she urged her clients to use condoms, she did not inform them of her infection due to concerns that they would choose not to hire her. Despite stating her willingness to engage with health authorities for treatment, a spokesman for New South Wales Health Minister Peter Collins indicated that Ms Spence had not yet reached out to any health officials. The Health Department, he noted, had only received confirmation from the television programme that she planned to seek help. Minister Collins called for assistance from both the media and the public to identify other A.I.D.S or H.I.V. infected individuals who could be working as prostitutes. The situation had been further complicated by the recent case of another sex worker known as Charlene, who was detained under the Public Health Act after openly disclosing her H.I.V. positive status while continuing her work without insisting clients wear condoms. Collins pointed out that the cases of Charlene and Spence were different, asserting that there were no immediate plans to detain Ms Spence under the Public Health Act. He highlighted that there had been no confirmation regarding her continued work as a prostitute since her release from Prince Henry Hospital just a week prior. Minister Collins also noted the implications of these cases for public health policy, suggesting that they underscore the need for a review of the Public Health Act. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman from "A Current Affair" disclosed that they had not heard from Tania since her last appearance on the show and were unsure of her whereabouts. She reiterated that there was an agreement for Ms Spence to turn herself in to health authorities that day.

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