The Indian Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking compulsory HIV test for couples entering into a wedlock.
AIDS a severe immunological disorder caused by the retrovirus HIV, resulting in a defect in cell-mediated immune response that is manifested by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and to certain rare cancers, especially Kaposi’s sarcoma. It is transmitted primarily by exposure to contaminated body fluids, especially blood and semen.
A Bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran asked the petitioner to approach the Parliament for redressal of their demand.
The petitioner had submitted that in many cases grooms/brides were concealing their HIV status while entering into marriage.
Prevention of HIV infections is deceptively simple: Refrain from having sexual contact and from sharing drug-injecting paraphernalia with anyone who is infected. However, the rapid and continuing global spread of HIV, despite its well-known and severe clinical consequences, points out how difficult it is to change risky sexual and drug-taking behaviors. Many successful educational and social interventions have been demonstrated, but sustaining them in large populations for long periods requires extensive resources and a strong public health commitment.