Church mulls mandatory HIV tests - does it really?

[Guest guest]

Further to an article from ChennaiOnline News Services, posted here, regarding

HIV antibody testing required by the Catholic Church in India before marriage,

I have been in touch with various Catholic entities.

It seems that the posting is not true. Furthermore it is not true at all that

such tests are mandatory in the United States and European Countries.

However, some smaller independent churches, in some countries, do indeed carry

out this practice, with devastating effects for those who are found HIV

positive.

Testing for HIV antibodies should be voluntary, preceded by high quality

counselling to prepare for an eventual positive result, and followed by high

quality counselling both for those found HIV positive and those found HIV

negative.

No compulsory testing is recommended by UNAIDS, and apparently neither by the

Catholic Church.

¬

Calle Almedal

Senior Adviser

Partnerships Unit

UNAIDS

20 Avenue Appia

CH 1211 Geneva 27

SWITZERLAND

tel + 41 22 791 45 70

fax + 41 22 791 48 98

almedalc@...

www.unaids.org