Well, the MOH knows it needs to keep track of infection rates to estimate the spread of HIV. But it also knows that the rates it can keep track of can only be underreported because not many people will want to risk being exposed as HIV+ given the laws and the society in Singapore. It knows that more people will be more willing to come forward to get tested, if they could remain anonymous regardless of result. (If you've taken a test by the AfA, you will remember a question in the survey form you have to fill in that asks if you would take the test if you had to give your personal details like name and IC # etc.) That's why it struck a deal with AfA.
It's not the ideal situation for MOH, but it's the best they can get. This way, at least they get to track the spread of this disease. They only get numbers and some demographics and details to splice the data—like how many men, how many women, how old, whether they got it from syringes/needles shooting up on drugs or through sexual contact, whether it's homosexual or heterosexual intercourse etc. Which is useful enough for epidemiological study, but not enough to hunt down and persecute and destroy HIV+ people.
Another reason to do the AfA test instead is the DSC Clinic no longer offers the rapid test like it used to a few years back. So if tested by DSC Clinic, have to wait about a week for the results, not like the 30-45 minutes you have to wait for the AfA one.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by lacoruna69
Wah lau. Given the choice, i would rather be tested by AFA liao.
Since there is a difference in procedures involved, how come DSC can let AFA use their premises for tests?? It's really quite contradictory.....
|