Bill to make HIV tests mandatory before marriage under consideration

MUMBAI: The debate on making HIV tests mandatory before marriage has been rekindled. The state women and child development department is actively considering the move.
Varsha Gaikwad, minister, women and child development, told TOI that her department would be consulting various sections of the society in this regard.
She added that the department had already sought opinions from NGOs working for the welfare of HIV patients and the UNICEF among others in this context.
Department officials said that the minister also had plans to convene a meeting of stakeholders in the next few days to discuss the pros and the cons of the move.
The move will require amendment to provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and other allied Acts.
During the recently completed monsoon session of the state assembly, legislator Shirish Shinde of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had moved a private members' bill suggesting the necessary amendments. Department officials said that the opinion among elected representatives in this regard was divided. At a meeting held during the monsoon session, some legislators raised questions on whether the climate for introducing such a move was right. The official said that while all legislators were of the opinion that pre-marriage HIV tests must be encouraged, opinion on whether to make it mandatory was divided.
The move is aimed at saving the predicament of individuals who become AIDS victims because of their partners. A pre-marriage test would act as a preventive measure, the official said.
The bone of contention that is up for debate is whether making these tests mandatory would ostracize the infected person in his/her community. The state government has been working with NGOs to design projects for alleviating the social discrimination of victims. A fear that making tests mandatory would defeat this cause has been expressed, officials said. The department is hoping to resolve the dilemma through effective dialogue. Dr Arun Bamne, project director, Maharashtra District Aids Control Society (MDACS), felt that the tests should be voluntary. "Making it mandatory will infringe on the person's right," he said.