In a speech in London, former president Bill Clinton declared
his support for compulsory AIDS testing in developing countries
where AIDS drugs are available. The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS
Initiative helps provide cheaper AIDS tests and drugs worldwide.
Clinton clarified that he only supports this policy when the
countries involved are willing to do it. Because it is estimated
that more than 90 percent of those living with HIV do not know
they have it, Clinton feels that compulsory testing, where
possible, is the only realistic way to reduce the number of those
who will become infected in the future, and that the policy would
only make sense in countries with high levels of infection.
Lesotho, an African country, is so far the only country that has
decided to mandate AIDS testing for all of its citizens.
Compulsory testing for AIDS remains controversial, both due to
cost and availability issues in many countries with high
incidence, but also because of the stigma attached to the
disease, previous lack of treatment options, and fears about
discrimination if the HIV status of citizens became known. Rapid
HIV tests are now easy to use and give results in less than a
half hour, and treatment options now offer many the chance for a
relatively normal life, rather than a death
sentence.
