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During a stream on November 21, Steven "Destiny" made a contentious statement concerning the disclosure of HIV to one's partner, and it has left the streaming community divided.
The streamer stated that someone who has HIV and is taking antiretroviral medication for it does not need to disclose it to their partner. According to him, it is highly unlikely that they will get infected anyway:
"There's not most people getting HIV from people who have HIV that are on retrovirals, probably not. I think if you had HIV, I don't think I would- I don't think you should tell, as long as you're taking your drugs and everything, why the f**k?"
Then the streamer started to call out his viewers when some chatters stated that they would want to know if their partner had HIV. Steven stated that most viewers had probably never been tested for the Human Simplex Virus (HSV) 1 or 2 anyway and called them "disgusting":
"Most of you disgusting f**ks have never been tested for HSV 1 or 2 in your entire life. There are people in chat right now saying 'I wanna know if they have HIV!' even if they are on their drugs and their virus count is zero. You f**kers don't even know if you're running around f**king with herpes. You guys have no idea. None of you f**kers get tested for that sh*t."
Steven's statement prompted a negative response from netizens. Many stated that not only is it morally incorrect to do so, but it is in fact a crime in some regions:
"Even the die-hard fans of Destiny would think this is a bad take" - Fans react to the streamer's take on HIV disclosure
Steven's comments have sparked a debate among netizens about not only the legal requirement of HIV disclosure, but also the moral consequences of hiding such a crucial condition from one's partner.
Many users mentioned how this forms part of "informed consent." They also stated how not disclosing it effectively means that Destiny "doesn't actually care about informed consent.":
Many fans further criticized the Cuban descendent and pointed out the fact that the act of non-disclosure may result in legal repercussions:
Even as one user mentioned that they'd hoped that even Destiny fans would realize this was a "bad take," some fans were on the Kick streamer's side and agreed with his opinion.
They stated that one does not need to disclose their HIV condition if are taking antiretroviral drugs, as they are not likely to spread HIV:
Steven "Destiny" is a historically controversial streamer. He has been perma-banned from Twitch in the past due to his comments regarding the participation of trans athletes in sports.
Since then, he has shifted to Kick, which has relatively relaxed moderation policies. He has 87,000 followers on the platform and averages around 2,500 viewers per day on his streams. Destiny is known for his explosive Just Chatting streams, where is often states opinions that can often be perceived as controversial.
