HIV-infected German singer convicted

Darmstadt, Germany (CNN) -- A German pop star was found guilty Thursday of causing grievous bodily harm and attempted bodily harm for failing to tell sexual partners that she was infected with HIV.

Nadja Benaissa, 28, former singer in the girl band No Angels, was given a two-year suspended sentence. She was also ordered to complete 300 hours of community service with people who are HIV-positive.

The trial has been taking place at a court here in Darmstadt, south of Frankfurt.

Benaissa had unprotected sex five times between 2000 and 2004 with three people and did not tell them she was infected, according to multiple media reports.

One of her partners became infected with the virus. Benaissa had allegedly known her status since 1999.

Benaissa admitted not telling sexual partners she was HIV-positive but denied intending to infect anyone, telling the court during the trial, "I am sorry from the heart."

Benaissa had said she believed there was little chance of her passing on the virus and she did not want it made public because of the harm it might cause her daughter and the band, according to the German newspaper Bild.

Bild also reported that one of Benaissa's alleged victims told the court he had unprotected sex with Benaissa on about three occasions. He said he went to the doctor after learning of Benaissa's condition from her aunt, and discovered he had contracted the virus.

He told Benaissa: "You have borne so much suffering in the world," according to the newspaper.

No Angels became Germany's most successful all-female group after they formed on the international television show "Popstars" in 2000. The band reformed in 2007 and competed in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest.

Benaissa is appearing in youth court because she was 17 at the time of the first alleged offence.

The fact that Benaissa is HIV-positive was not made public until her arrest in April last year. She spent 10 days in custody after her arrest before being released on bail.

HIV life cycle

HIV life cycle. Small arrowheads, viral entry to integration. Curved arrows, early replication. Double-headed arrows, late replication. (1) Adsorption to CD4 receptor and either CXCR4 or CCR5 co-receptor. (2) Fusion. (3) Uncoating of viral genomic RNA dimer. (4) Reverse transcription (RT, reverse transcriptase). (5) Formation of pre-integration complex (PIC). (6) Nuclear import of PIC. (7) Integration of proviral DNA into host genome. (8) Transcription of early multiply spliced mRNAs. (9) Translation of early regulatory proteins, Tat and Rev. (10) Nuclear import of Tat and Rev. Tat increases transcription of viral mRNAs. (11) Rev mediates export of singly spliced and unspliced viral mRNAs. (12) Translation of viral structural proteins. (13) Assembly at the plasma membrane of viral genomic RNA, proteins, and cellular factors including tRNA(Lys3), the obligate primer for reverse transcription. (14) Viral budding. (15) Viral maturation. Cellular factors involved in viral transcription: RNA polIII, TRBP, NF-B and PCAF (see text).

 

Acute HIV infection

 

Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is a virus that targets a person’s immune system. Individuals affected with HIV have a weakened immune system, making them susceptible to many illnesses and infections, which eventually leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. 

The HIV virus attacks white blood cells that are key to the body’s disease fighting ability. These white blood cells are called CD4+ cells, and in the case of individuals affected with HIV, these CD4+ cells are destroyed gradually by the virus. If too many of these cells are destroyed, the person’s body no longer has the same capability to ward of infections.

HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of body fluids. One of the most common modes of transmission is through unprotected sexual contact. Other transmission modes include blood transfusion, sharing of needles, breast-feeding, or mother-child during pregnancy. HIV cannot be simply passed through kissing or sharing of drinking glasses. 

One of the earliest symptoms of HIV are fever, headache, swelling of lymph nodes, skin rashes and body/joint pain. These symptoms can occur within the first few days or weeks, and can easily be dismissed as symptoms for other, more common illnesses such as the flu. The symptoms might not appear again for many years, oftentimes for more than a decade, when the immune system is very much compromised.

There is no known cure for HIV or for AIDS, but early detection can enable the affected individual to seek out treatment which will retard the spread of the virus and the damage to the immune system.

Some of the practical ways to avoid HIV are:
~ Practice safe sex through the use of condoms
~ Avoid having multiple sex partners

~ Do not share syringes, toothbrushes or razors