Compulsory testing for HIV in Hungary

Abstract

Compulsory testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been a cornerstone of Hungary's AIDS prevention and care programme since 1988. This strategy is based on a two-fold public health rationale. Firstly, informing as many HIV positive people as possible of their serostatus is important for HIV prevention because infected people have a crucial role to play in preventing the further spread of the virus. Secondly, the earlier an HIV diagnosis can be provided the greater the opportunity for delaying the onset of symptoms and for maintaining as high a quality of life as possible for the affected individual. For these reasons, and because compulsory testing appears to be widely accepted within Hungary as part of a comprehensive social welfare system which places equal emphasis on citizens' rights and responsbilities, the country's public health establishment has continued to resist pressure from international agencies and other external bodies which have urged Hungary to abandon compulsory testing in favour of voluntary testing based on individual informed consent. Any changes to Hungary's HIV testing programme which occur in the coming years are more likely to be a response to the country's changing epidemiological, social and economic conditions rather than to pressure from outside.