Pre-Marital HIV Screening A Must For Non-Muslim Malaysians

Owing to the high levels of HIV infection among married womens the Malaysian Govt urges voluntary pre-marital HIV screening for non-Muslim couples.

Malaysia will urge non-Muslim couples to take voluntary pre-nuptial HIV screening tests before tying the knot due to high levels of infection among married women, the deputy premier said.

Such screening is already compulsory for Muslims as part of a pre-marital course but there is no such requirement for non-Muslims.

AIDS/HIV - Epidemiology
AIDS or HIV is an epidemic disease, a potentially deadly infection that can be prevented with precautions. AIDS/HIV symptoms manifest long after the actual infection occurs.

While new HIV infections dropped to 3,452 in 2008, compared to 6,756 in 2003, infections among women through normal sexual intercourse rose from 5.02 percent of total cases in 1997 to 16.3 percent last year.

"I think for the non-Muslims, we should go on the basis of encouraging them on voluntary basis to subject themselves to be tested and screened for HIV," deputy premier Najib Razak told Bernama news agency late Saturday.

"If you look at it from the society's point of view as well as the point of view from the individuals concerned... it would be to their interest as well to know whether their would-be-husbands... are free from HIV or not."

AIDS/HIV- LAB TESTS and FAQs
Describes how screening for HIV is performed in a laboratory.

Source-AFP
PRI/SK

Early Testing, Treatment Can Prevent Illness, Death In HIV-Positive Babies
A new study has revealed that testing very young babies for HIV and giving antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately to those found infected with the virus dramatically prevents illness and death.

Counselling Makes Therapists to Grow More Optimistic About Marriage
The average marriage therapist becomes gradually more optimistic about marriage over the course of their career.