Re: Should HIV testing be mandatory before marriage?

[Guest guest]

Dear All

The proposed Goa legislation making mandatory HIV

testing before marriage is fraught with dangers and

pitfalls. That the word " Voluntary " becomes redundant

is a moot point here. That it is a violation of basic

human rights is the next fallout. But there are other

dangers too:

1. How will you prevent Goans marrying outside the

State and coming back to Goa to settle down? Or will

there be a clause in the legislation demanding all

Goans to mary within the State?

2. How will you make parents take their children for a

HIV test? Are we going to encoutage false reports and

certificates in exchange for money? Or are we so

innocent we believe people cannot buy medical reports

in our country?

3. What about the windo period? After solemnizing a

marriage will the would-be bridr / groom have to wait

for the three tests before fully clearing themselves?

(We are assuming here that during this period there

will not be any risky behaviors / situations that

either of them will accost).

4. Will the legislation guarantee the women freedom

from HIV life long? Post marriage too?

So majority of transmission of HIV is through the

sexual route and hence a result of unsafe sexual

behavior, why target marriage with a legislation? Why

not talk about unsafe and risky behaviors?

This proposed legislation is nothing but a knee jerk

reaction. While the intention seems noble, if enacted,

is doomed to go the way our Dowry (Prevention) Act did

(enacted 25 years ago).

Ultimately, HIV will be the winner if we continue to

believe sex happens only within marriage. We need to

strip this screen of hypocricy as it is precisely this

which cloaks people in a false sense of security and

makes women feel more comfortable and eventually more

vulnerable to HIV.

I for one am against legislations that is

implementation impracticable. Or should I say

impossible?

Sreeram

E-mail:<setlurs01@...>