Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
New Vision (Kampala) - November 15, 2006
The couple kept on dodging until the wedding day thinking they would get away with it. But a doctor was called in to do a rapid HIV test only to discover the couple was discordant - the man was positive and the woman negative.
HIV testing before marriage has remained an initiative by the couples intending to get married and sometimes the religious institutions like in the case above. Although the ideal scenario would be to have all couples intending to get married test for HIV, there are a number of challenges:
* Most couples are stigmatised or fear to discover their status if they have already had unprotected sex.
* Lack of a law or guidelines to enforce HIV testing before marriage.
* Some people want to re-marry after they have lost partners to HIV/AIDS. They take on unsuspecting partners and are very secretive about their previous relationships.
* The authenticity of the test results. Anecdotal evidence has shown that some of the HIV test results presented by couples intending to get married are concocted. Some couples present results of tests taken many years back. Others buy results from laboratories.
From the cultural perspective, marriage is considered a privilege, a gift from God and a means to an end in life. Therefore people are afraid of losing a chance if it has come. Hence they would not want anything that might hinder them from attaining the marriage status.
The gender slant has also revealed that many young women intending to get married would want to have an HIV test but cannot suggest it to their partners. This is because of the subordinate position of women in society and the fear of being accused of promiscuity or not trusting their partners.
HIV testing before marriage is advantageous. For example, negative test results will help the couple to stay safe within their marriage while those who are positive or discordant can access treatment and preventive services such condoms, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission drugs and ARVs.
HIV counselling and testing should be compulsory for couples intending to get married. This should include customary marriages. We need a law or guidelines to support its implementation.
061115
NV061122
Copyright © 2006 - The New Vision. All articles are republished on AEGIS by permission. Material may not be redistributed, posted to any other location, published or used for broadcast without written authorization from Managing Director/Editor-in-chief, The New Vision, P.O. Box 9815, Kampala - Uganda, Tel/fax: 256-41-235221, E-mail: wpike@newvision.co.ug.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .