In the Daily Nation today

http://www.nation.co.ke/.../-/uv5kqkz/-/index.html

What do you think?

What i think they should also make mandatory is testing of significant others like spouses & children. In my view that is so much more important..

It should be made routine so as to reduce the stigma associated with it

However-it should be made mandatory for all health workers so minimize risks of transmission from a patient-service provider and vice versa

I'd think, if the government is going to be well prepared to treat the confirmed cases, it can only do that if it knows what the magnitude is.... planning without testing is like looking for a needle in the dark.

Having said that, we must also accept that there is stigma associated with HIV so it has to be handled very carefully. Or may be people can get tested first on their own so that they know their status first before the mandatory testing is put in place......

@ Wendz, i think we fuel the stigma all the more when the testing is made to be such a big deal..People have had GC which is so clearly sexually transmitted. At least HIV may be transmitted otherwise..
But the govt really needs some stats to work with anyway.

@Majay, Health workers who are at risk (due to needle pricks etc) do the tests anyway. However, this mode of transmission cannot account for more than 1%...

I still think it should be mandatory if the doctor/other health care provider is unable to proceed with treatment without knowing the diagnosis. It is still currently done but it exposes the doctors to litigation.

For children, their health should come first.. Way before the parent's consent. Because the child may just die..

Is that so? but what happens those in food sector? Not just HIV, but other diseases too...