ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM SCHOOL STUDENTS IN INDIA

TESTS FOR HIV AND THE NEED FOR TESTING

by Rajan Gupta

  • When and why should a person get tested?

  • There is no reason for a person to get tested unless they have had risky behavior or suspect that they may have gotten infected by contact with infected blood. Risky behavior includes sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with someone whose sexual history and HIV status you do not know, intravenous drug use, tattoos with needles that may have been shared.

  • Do we need to have a HIV blood test done before marriage?

  • There is no law requiring HIV test before marriage, and no one should force you to take it against your wishes or by force. You do not need a HIV test before marriage if you have not had risky behavior, however, since people do not disclose their sexual history, it is best for both partners to get a HIV test done so that they can enter married life confident of each other. More and more couples (especially when people choose their own partners) are taking the test so that they can be sure that they are not marrying someone with HIV without knowing it.

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    Rajan Gupta