HIV Counseling and Testing

Last April the government of South Africa launched a new upscaled HIV treatment & prevention plan. Rumblings of actual implementation of the program now are coming up and there is a certain degree of controversy over the efficacy of the particular plan to intoduce HIV Counseling and testing in schools. Basically this would be a plan to avail voluntary counselling and testing at schools on weekends and holidays starting in March.

Most criticism has come from those concerned about the psychological effects on school kids should they test positive. There is no clear cut way of dealing with this particular issue it seems and certain commentators are predicting disastrous consequences that would derail any benefit to be gained from the program. Grassroot Soccer is closely watching developments in this are, since we work directly in schools with students that  will directly be affected by this program. One hopes that should the program go on, the right means of addressing positive results are in place. Some have suggested pushing the program forward in order to allow for proper research and planning for a response is done.