Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - President Barack Obama has reversed a ban that will allow people who are HIV positive to visit the United States.

For over two-decades, there has been a ban in place that has kept foreign nationals who are HIV positive from being able to get into the country for a visit.

President Barack Obama reversed this ban, stating that if we want to be a global leader in the way in which we fight HIV and AIDS, we will need to act like a global leader.

This has been a long time coming in the eyes of many as there was movement even when former President George W. Bush was in office to get this done.

The new rule will go into effect at the start of 2010, allowing those who are HIV positive to travel in and out of the United States at will.

There has been a very positive reaction to this move, as the majority saw the ban as something that was extremely outdated.