PANAJI: In a statement that is likely to spark a debate in the state, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said that it was the role of lawmakers to see that when marriages are registered in the state, an HIV test be made mandatory.
“This test has not yet been made mandatory, but there is a need to make it so,” said Rane. “After that, it’s each one’s decision,” he added. He also said that testing for thalassemia (inherited blood disorders) needed to be done before marriage, as if a spouse was not aware of the condition of his/her spouse, the children would end up suffering.
“We need to bring about these things in public interest,” said Rane.
When contacted, Peter Borges who has been working with HIV/AIDS patients through his “Human Touch Foundation” told “The Goan” that pre-marital HIV testing is a highly contentious issue and there are arguments to both sides i.e. mandatory or voluntary testing.
“Compulsory HIV testing is not supported by either UNAIDS or the World Health Organization. The National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy of the Government of India clearly mandates voluntary testing as the appropriate public health strategy in dealing with HIV/AIDS,” said Borges.
“It may lead to people obtaining fake HIV status certificates or opting for non-legal or unregistered marriages too. It will also ignore issues of consent and confidentiality of a person's HIV status,” Borges added.
“Another issue will be cancelations of marriage proposals as a result of the HIV status of one or both of the bridal candidates. Further, it could also intensify the inhuman stigmatisation that HIV-positive individuals grapple with,” said Borges who has been working in the field for over a decade and a half.
He felt that brides and grooms must be encouraged to take the test before marriage, but it should be voluntary.
This is not the first time that the Goa government has mulled mandatory HIV testing, with the Health Department having initiated a process to assess public opinions on the matter in 2006. The cabinet then too had decided to initiate legislation in this regard.
Then Health Minister Dayanand Narvekar had strongly rooted for the mandatory path, suggesting the testing be done free at the GMC and district hospitals.
