December 27, 2008

Mandatory HIV testing does more harm than good



Kuala Lumpur, 18th December 2008: The announcement today by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to extend nationwide pre-marital HIV testing for all Muslims in Malaysia is alarming. Scaling up HIV counselling and testing services is a critical step for scaling up HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. Knowing your HIV status is a crucial part of managing HIV but the manner in which this is done is of the utmost importance.

Malaysian AIDS Council President, Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said “The 3C’s should always be used as a gold standard for testing: Consent, Counselling and Confidentiality”.

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