Concerns Over Real-Name HIV Testing in China

China's HIV/AIDS community has expressed concern over draft legislation that would require people taking HIV tests to use their real names and, if they test positive, to inform their spouses and/or sexual partners, China Daily reports.

The legislation, currently under consideration in the Guanxi Zhuang region of southern China, is expected to be approved. Opponents see the legislation as an invasion of privacy, and they worry that it will discourage testing. But the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that while real name registration is not currently mandated by law, it is nonetheless a common practice.

The center noted that only 10 percent of registered HIV-positive people were tested anonymously, and that testing continues to increase—from 60 million tests in 2010 to 80 million in 2011.

To read the China Daily article, visit: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-02/13/content_14595275.htm.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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