The United States has been doing it since the 1980s. Botswana introduced the policy early this year and Zambia is plotting the introduction of the practice. But what is South Africa thinking about routine testing versus Voluntary Counselling and Testing for HIV?
As the world welcomes universal AIDS treatment, the policy of '€˜routine testing'€™ for HIV is becoming more widespread and is likely to replace the current system which requires patients to volunteer themselves for a test. Here in southern Africa, Botswana has already implemented the policy.
Traditionally, the global A,B,C strategy for HIV prevention has been accompanied by a plea for people to attend voluntary counselling and testing services so that they can know their status. Now, as treatment for AIDS becomes more widely available, the policy seems to be shifting to what is known as "routine testing" for HIV.
The threat of HIV infection poses a great communication challenge for relationships today. The need for more open and honest talk becomes even more crucial. But what does one do when the other party is not willing to engage?
What can you do when all the evidence suggests that your partner is HIV positive yet he or she does not want to talk about it no matter how hard you try?
For the AIDS epidemic to continue growing unabated it takes a few good men to do nothing. With this in mind, programmes by men and for men are now in place to raise awareness among men about their role in the spread of HIV and to advise them on how they can change.
Improved relations between the sexes and a change in men'€™s attitudes can go a long way towards reducing gender-based violence and the spread of HIV. Creating better men is the goal of the Men as Partners network. Their latest project was launched recently in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
Tlalehong ya rona ya ho qetela ya bophelo le HIV re utlwile ka projeke e ntjha Aforika Borwa ho kgothalletsa balekane ho fumana tsebo le ho nka teko mmoho ho tseba ka seemo sa bona le kokwana hloko ena. Bekeng ena re buisana le monna le mosadi ho ithuta ka moo morero ona tlasa projeke ya Tshwarisanang Centre e sepetleleng sa Chris Hani Baragwanath, motseng wa Soweto, o ba thusitseng ka teng.
Naheng tsa Zambia le Uganda ha se ntho esele. E boela e le setlwaedi toropong ya San Francisco, Amerika, pakeng tsa baratani ba banna. Jwale ho se ho etsahala mona Aforika Borwa. Re bua ka hore balekane ba nke mohato wa ho fumana tsebo ka tshwaetso ya HIV le ho itlhatlhoba mmoho ka nako e le nngwe.
Ha o qala ho iphumana o na le tshwaetso ya HIV motho o atisa ho fihlelwa ke nako ya bodutu le ho touta. Health-e News Service e tlaleha ka mokgatlo wa ho qala kontinenteng ya Aforika eo sepheo sa ona e leng ho thusa baruti ba nang le tshwaetso ena kapa ba amehileng ha bohloko ka tlasa boima ba kokwana hloko ena.
Hangata mekgatlo ya sedumedi e amanya tshwaetso ka kokwana hloko ya HIV le sebe le bofebe. Feela, ebe ke taba e bohlokwa hore na motho o fumane kokwana hloko ena ka mokgwa ofe? Health-e e fumana dikarabo ho tswa ho baruti ba bararo ba phelang ntle le tshabo ka tshwaetso ena.
Bekeng ena re boela re utlwa ho tswa ho moruti Christo Greyling, moeletsi wa mokgatlo wa World Vision ka tsa lefu la Phamokathe kontinenteng ya Afrika. O phetela Health-e News Service ka moo tshwaetso ya HIV e ba amang le mohatsae.
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