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Mandatory Premarital HIV Testing

Mandatory Premarital HIV Testing. The implications for Women: a gender analysis Katya Burns, Independent Consultant, NYC and Mysore India AIDS 2010 Vienna. A Growing Trend.

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Mandatory Premarital HIV Testing

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  1. Mandatory Premarital HIV Testing The implications for Women: a gender analysis Katya Burns, Independent Consultant, NYC and Mysore India AIDS 2010 Vienna

  2. A Growing Trend Documented introduction of mandatory premarital testing requirements in 29 countries / 37 communities (local government, religious community) and the trend is growing especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Growing numbers of couples living in low- and middle-income countries who wish to marry are required to take a test for HIV. In many instances, people who test positive are barred from marriage National governments in Bahrain, Guinea, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. All Muslim couples in Malaysia Local authorities in India, China, Ethiopia, DR Congo Churches in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda

  3. Women suffer • The practice puts women, especially married women at greater risk of infection • It gives a false sense of security and weakens women’s power to negotiate condom use • Chronic breaches of confidentiality disproportionately impact women • Women who test positive are barred from marriage and may be beaten and expelled from their home. This is less often the case for men • Married women are blamed for bring HIV into the family

  4. Stigma disproportionately impacts women If you are a true Christian and fearful of your God…why would you be afraid…why would you go underground…if any members just quit the church or go underground because of the fear of HIV/AIDS testing, these members may actually be the true wolves in sheep’s clothes…how can we worship with and trust such people… … all the focus is usually placed on the results of the bride…while the men are reluctant… there seems to be this feeling that if the women test negative then everything is fine…

  5. What should be done? Premarital testing should be voluntary Need for evidence and rights-based international guidelines on premarital testing Need for international guidelines that offer discordant couples in low- and middle-income countries realistic options for safe child conception Best practices in premarital testing should be researched, documented, and disseminated Build capacity and skills in pre- and post-test counseling services for premarital couples Address women’s underlying vulnerabilities in the context of marriage in policy and practice: gender-based violence, property and employment rights.

  6. Thank you! Katya Burns katya@kburnsconsulting.com This project was supported by the Law and Health Initiative at the Open Society Institute

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