Re: Orissa Govt asked to make AIDS testing compulsory

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/10355

" Orissa will be the second state in the counrty after Kerala if the state

government makes blood test of the bride and groom mandatory before marriage, "

Mishra said.

 

The cited quote is not a  correct statement of facts.

Experiences of several Indian and American states are before us and there is no

room for a hasty decision/proclamation on the issue which directly concerns the

human rights of all.

Rajesh Gopal

E-MAIL: <dr_rajeshg@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

Re: /message/10355

Kerala has not made HIV test mandatory before marriage. There are many

states including kerala where some initial discussion on this happened but

realizing the issues involved gone back on the legislation.

This again again shows how careful we should be with new NGOs and New

leaders including officials coming into the HIV field regarding the basics of

HIV prevention.

yes, there is a reason for us the old generation of HIV activists to remain in

the field.

Dr Ajith

--

Dr Ajithkumar.K

Asst Professor In Dermatology and Veneriology

Medical college Chest Hospital

MG Kav,Trichur, Kerala ,India

Ph 04872333322 (res) 9447226012

e-mail: <ajisudha@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/10355

Salute the spirit of these " Social workers " to make the society AIDS free. But

unfortunately it seems, even though they are working in HIV field; they are very

new to the word " INFORMED CONSENT " . In the policy guidelines of NACO website it

clearly states that " the consent must be voluntary and patient must be able to

understand and competent to refuse " .

I have some queries to these " social workers "

1. How can the State Government address the stigma and discrimination issues

which may reach the peak due to the pre-marital testing?

2. What will be the support mechanisms for those people who were tested positive

while this mandatory test?

3. If a potential marriage breaks up due to one/both of the couple tested

positive the chances of breach of confidentiality is more imminent. What will

be these " social workers " reaction if a person is stigmatized from the society

because of the pre-marital testing? (Creating issues and running projects is

unfair I think)

4. If the testing is mandatory, then the society may get an opportunity for

stigmatizing those couples who breaks their wedding for some other reasons,

presuming that they may be positive. Do they ever think about that?

5. I guess they knew about the " Window Period " . Does anybody can ask the couple

to wait for 3 or more months for a repeat test, even though both the bride and

the groom are found negative while screening.

6. I guess they knew about the " Secondary Syphilis, Late Syphilis and gonorrhea "

are they going to advice for Pre-marital mandatory testing for STI? The same

will be applicable to all the communicable diseases. Is this possible.

7. Even, if the Orissa Govt. makes the pre-marital testing mandatory what will

be the mechanisms for those who are living in remote locations and had never

heard about the marriage registration?

8. Where " these " social workers were; when the Rajyasabha committee recommended

that there should be no sex education in schools. When the committee said, AEP

is a " cleverly used euphemism whose real objective was to impart sex education

in schools and promote promiscuity " .

My sincere urge to those people creating the issues with some bias statements as

published in Hindu dated 14th June, 2009 to think about the same in the Human

Rights angle also. How can a person is tested forcefully without his/her

willingness? If they are really concern about the AIDS epidemic, as a social

worker they should be optimistic and believe that people can be sensitized and

they can promote for " PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING FOR HIV " and can do advocacy for

Adult Education Programs.

santosh

e-mail: <kumarpositive@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/10355

The pitfalls of any kind of mandatory testing (including pre marital

testing) has been discussed ad nauseum on this and other lists in India and the

region. They do not have to be re-stated. Anyone interested can just search the

archives of this list for ample material.

Yet, this is the knee jerk reaction that even some veteran HIV activists take

up, alLmost as if they do not have anything better to do.

I hope the people who are behind this latest initiative are aware of those

pitfalls, and are also responsible enough to deal with the consequences that

visist peoples lives when they are forced into such a practice.

Best regards,

Aditya Bondyopadhyay

E-MAIL: <adit.bond@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Good to see the result of advocacy efforts of the " whole state " led by Orisssa

State AIDS Control Socitty in preaching the ideal idea of blood test before

marriage.

OSACS have done numerous Phone-In programmes, in the state hook up of All India

Radio, Cuttack, and DDK Bhubaneswar where the issue of voluntary blood testing

have been discussed and listeners have themselves requested to make it

mandatory. One of the good thing of Live Phone In programme is that you get the

insatant feedback in its " original " form - be it hard or soft- and you could

answer that only if you were done or experienced enough to tell it others

convincingly.Again, sitting state or any other HQ, we can not just say that who

listen to/watches Live Phone-In and participate. In Orissa, you can not wait for

a minute to discuss your own issues as the number of phone calls interuppts you.

As a part of Govt. system, OSACS can not say Govt. should make it mandatory, but

can suggest the " public " and different " forums " to take up the matter with the

Govt.

ARUNA in Ganjam and SOVHA in Koraput are two well known NGOs working on

HIV/AIDS. Thanks to Mr. Loknath and Sanjeet that they have atleast brought it to

the notice of the Govt.

I was working with OSACS in its IEC Division but now working in Delhi in PFI.

Belive me, working in the field for the people & with the people has a different

satisfaction you won't get working sitting inside AC chambers. Now lot of

discussions are going on AVAHAN project. I still can't think of the " real "

issue, whether it is due to the " money " involved it it or due to the " failure "

of the objectives of Avahan project.

Its just a thinking.

Manoj Kandher

PFI, NewDelhi

>

> Sunday, June 14, ompulsory2009 : 1345 Hrs

>

> Berhmapur (Orissa) (PTI): The Orissa government has been urged by social

workers to make blood tests of brides and grooms compulsory before marriage to

screen and check the dreaded AIDS.

>

> " The blood examination will reveal if the bride and groom have been afflicted

with any deadly disease and it is only way to arrest their spread among the next

generation, " Loknath Mishra, director of Aruna, an NGO working to tackle AIDS

and spread awareness about the deadly disease.

>

> The blood test should made mandatory to check increasing incidence of AIDS in

the state, said Sudhir Sabat, another activist.

>

> The number of persons who tested positive for HIV in Orissa was 13,039 in

April. Of them 1085 persons have been diagnosed as AIDs patients, while 868 have

died of the disease, official sources said.

>

> " Orissa will be the second state in the counrty after Kerala if the state

government makes blood test of the bride and groom mandatory before marriage, "

Mishra said.

>

> " It will not only enable a happy married life for the couple but also help in

making the society AIDS-free, " Sanjeet Patnaik, secretary of Sova, a

Koraput-based NGO said.

>

> http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/099200906141321.htm

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/10355

I regret sending a response so late - however, I felt very strongly that I

should send in my response. When the theme of World AIDS Day this year is

Universal Access and Human Rights, I think we need to take a good look at our

rights perspective. I entirely agree with Santosh - to add a few points

Even if we were to overlook all the reasons why testing should not be

compulsory - from technical (window period) to human rights to social

perspectives - and have a " law " making premarital testing compulsory - how many

of it would actually be implemented? And by whom? In most cases, the law would

heighten gender biases and discrimination, in addition of course, to a greater

stigmatisation of PLHIV. Experiences with compulsions in the family planning

programme have shown that such approaches don't really work.

I also appreciate the point that my ex-colleague at OSACS, Manoj Kandher, is

making about field level realities - about so many people calling up during

phone-in programmes, asking ICTC ounsellors and also otherwise to ask about

premarital testing, civil society organisations working in the HIV sector

do face the same questions on ground

And I think, these organisations have a very important role in enabling access

to voluntary testing facilities to all persons in the community - including

couples who take an informed decision to voluntarily undergo tests for HIV.

The Link Worker in the field under a NACO-UNDP/UNICEF scheme which is being

piloted in various parts of the country - is envisaged to support/ supplement

civil society efforts by being the critical link between HIV information and

human rights issues and the 'vulnerable population'.

Regards

Anita Anasuya

Orissa

e-mail: <anita.anasuya@...>