| ■ Experts Call for Widespread HIV Testing | 06.08.21 |
| Widespread routine testing for HIV is needed in order to halt the spread of the AIDS-causing virus, according to experts attending the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada. More than 90 percent of people with HIV don't know they have the virus, which means they don't take steps to ensure they don't infect other people. The experts said large scale routine testing could have a significant impact in preventing transmission of HIV, BBC News reported. "Prevention has to be at the center of our response. We are not going to solve this epidemic just by scaling up treatment," said Dr. Kevin De Cock of the World Health Organization. Other experts expressed concern that routine testing for HIV could infringe on civil liberties. They said informed consent is essential for such testing, which would have to be accompanied by comprehensive treatment and support programs, BBC News reported. In many countries, people who test positive for HIV face social stigma and violence, noted Joanne Csete of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. "HIV is not like other diseases. Women do not get abandoned by their communities, or beaten up by their partners for having other diseases in the way that still unfortunately happens with HIV," Csete said. |