Goa May Make HIV Tests Compulsory Before Registering Marriages & Its A Step In The Right Direction!

A lot has been done to create awareness about the spread of HIV AIDS in our country. According to Avert, India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world. Around 2.1 million adults and children are reportedly living with HIV in the country.

The National AIDS Control Programme has time and again introduced several measures and awareness drive to control the spread of the HIV virus. Accordingly, our country saw a decline of AIDS-related deaths in India by 27% between 2010 and 2017.

In order to keep a check on the spread of HIV, the Goa government has decided to make HIV tests mandatory before marriage registration. Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane confirmed the news on Tuesday reports India Today.

“We are considering making an HIV test compulsory for the prospective couples before registration of marriage in Goa. It is not mandatory right now,” he said.

The proposal to make HIV testing compulsory before marriage was vetted by the Law Department, Rane, who is also a Minister for Law said. “If it is cleared by the Department soon, then we will table the law in the monsoon session of the state Legislative Assembly,” Rane said.

Health Minister Dayanand Narvekar had also proposed a similar concept in the Goa cabinet back in 2006 but the initiative did not reach fruition.

We hope other state governments take inspiration from Goa and take such steps towards curbing the spread of HIV in the country.