New law in Russia ends ban on HIV, Hep-C parents adopting children

Russian president Vladimir Putin has put his signature to new legislation that will let people who are diagnosed with HIV, Hepatitis C and other serious health issues to adopt children already in their care.

Previously, Russians diagnosed with certain diseases were not allowed to be adoptive parents. From now on, HIV or Hepatitis C-positive Russians will be able to legally care for children who already live with them “due to previously established family relations.”

The new legislation cites a range of other serious health conditions, such as tuberculosis, cancer and disabilities, which no longer will be a hindrance to adoption under the stated conditions.

Last year, the Russian constitutional court proposed an amendment which would exclude people diagnosed with certain illnesses from the adoption ban. The new rule applies if it’s in the best interest of the child to remain with their parents or guardians, despite them suffering from HIV or other listed health issues.

The amendment was spurred on by an appeal from a married couple in which the wife became HIV-positive from being infected in a hospital after a miscarriage. The pair succeeded in becoming parents through surrogacy, but the wife couldn’t adopt her child. The couple successfully challenged the law in the constitutional court last year.

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