Atlanta Ends Ban on HIV-Positive Massage Therapists

On Dec. 4, the Atlanta City Council unanimously voted to amend a city regulation to allow people with HIV to be licensed as massage therapists. Prior to the amendment, massage therapist applicants had to submit a physician's note stating they were free of all communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Mayor Shirley Franklin immediately signed the amendment into law. However, the state's Massage Therapy Act, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2007, will not require massage therapy applicants to submit a health certificate. That law will supersede city and county regulations. The possibility of legal action from any applicant who suffered under the city's previous code still exists, said the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.

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