HIV test before Nigerian marriage
The church says the move is to help parishioners make “informed choices” when choosing marriage partners. The BBC News website learnt that many Christian churches in Nigeria impose similar tests on their members as a condition for marriage. The policy is being implemented in all Anglican dioceses across Nigeria, the church’s spokesman said.
‘Unacceptable’
“The aim is to help intending couples to make informed decisions because we don’t want anyone to be kept in the dark about their partner,” spokesman for the church Rev Akintunde Popoola told the BBC News website.
He said the church will not stop people from getting married if they test positive to HIV, the virus that causes Aids. “The whole point is for couples to know their HIV status before getting married,” he said. “If they find out their status and still want to go ahead, we cannot object. Instead, we offer them care and support.” But the authorities are already challenging the new policy by the church, saying it is unacceptable.
“We cannot accept what the church is proposing. Every Nigerian must be allowed to decide on their own whether they want to be tested or not,” Prof Tunde Oshotimehin, who heads Nigeria’s state HIV control agency, told the BBC. “HIV testing and counselling must be voluntary. What the church is trying to do will encourage denial.”
Graduate tests
The Catholic Church in Nigeria says it is not imposing such a policy on its members because it wants HIV testing to be voluntary and personal. “We know that some people do it, but we are not making it church policy,” spokesman of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja Rev Fr Ralph Madu told the BBC News website. Recently, a church-owned college – Covenant University, Nigeria – announced that its graduates should take HIV and pregnancy tests as conditions for graduation.
But the university suspended the policy after widespread condemnation and criticisms from government agencies and rights groups. Nigeria is a deeply religious country with her 140 million people almost evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. According to Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (Naca), some 4.4% of Nigerians live with HIV.
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They should make it mandatory. Sorry but when you are trying to prevent epidemics, you lose some freedoms. A test will not hurt a person. The greater good should be the people’s concern.
I completely agree. What harm is done by leaning your status? It should be a required portion of physicals and should be considered part of a check up.
I more than agree, and want to add, that it is high time to get the increase under control, it is irresponsible to place the personal selfishness for your own – very own – baby ahead of everybody else. We, the human animal on this earth, are the only creature with enough intelligence to have the responsibility to contribute to making the world a better place again, or at least leaving it not worse than what it is, for our after world, and NOT leaving additional liability behind. There are too many children already in despair in the world, that need a loving environment. It is great accomplishment and gratifications in raising any child a beneficial member to the society they live in.
I feel it is essential that the society who could inherit such liability eventually, by humanitarian motivation or by health insurance or government agencies, is informed about there own members. This should go hand in hand with a blitzkrieg of information and education as it is needed in many areas yet around the globe, to minimize the prevailing prejudice, to put knowledge ahead of tradition and superstition (am I asking too much when suggesting) even ahead of religion: 4.4% of 140 mio Nigerians with HIV, i.e. over 6.1 mio people with HIV – (I do not think miracles can come at this rate), and accept the logic in it as a factual status quo (no one can go back): persons that come in close physical contact with others, e.g. in the medical profession, public service, teaching,- particularly lower grades and preschool, should have the professionl ethics to diversifiy into postions or careers with less exposure to others. Unfortunately that for as long as science is still in the dark on the whole issue. As far as love and marriage is concerned, this can be overcome as a minor problem, if all about love is earnest and true.
BUT
To h*ll with a family tree (at this point where we are now) for those that cannot tell which tooth of the circular saw had done the cut on the finger :), instead of with the future for all the children, in a ever smaller getting world.
Do not condemn anyone,as they did not know what they were doing, but educate the congregation, the community, the society, and let them, instead of becoming outcasts, contribute conscientiously to the betterment of all (as everybody should) as honorable members in the society. Who can say of himself to have never have erred in their life?
education education education
Allah, God, Jehovah or who have you, has equipped everyone of us to understand.
more RACIST!!! anti-African drivel. But, as always, I consider the source. The only sad thing is that African Americans, ignorant of the world, and of Africa’s position in it, believe this abject B.S.
however…fortunately, because this AIDS talk is a bunch of racist B.S., Nigerians — who won’t take vaccinations because they are suspicious, and rightly so — will ignore this diatribe and sweep in into the vault filed under “other White Eurocentric demands which Africans ignore”.
This article isn’t about vaccinations. It’s about taking a test to determine if you have HIV/AIDS. RIF, black people. Before you go mouthing off about what white people are doing, take it upon yourself, as a black person, to read what the article is about.
hello! i didnt say the article was about vaccines…before you go mouthing off about my comment…READ IT!
and Jena…are you by any chance…WHITE??? if not, what gives? come clean.
Jena, that’s right…you’ve never met anyone from AFRICA so you don’t have any idea what an African person would think about this STUPID ARTICLE or what i’m talking about!
lol reader what are you now? the spokesperson for all African people? I read the article and read your comments, all four of them do not make sense