肯尼亚强制检测HIV设想引争议

In an effort to combat the spread of HIV, Kenya’s National Aids Control Council and STI Control Program (NASCOP) may soon turn to mandatory testing.

为阻止艾滋病毒感染在这个东非国家蔓延，肯尼亚全国艾滋病和性传播感染控制计划可能不久将在肯尼亚的医疗机构实行强制性检测艾滋病毒的计划。

Around 1.5 million Kenyans are estimated to be living with HIV, or about 6.3 percent of the adult population. Prevalence of the disease in Kenya is such that only sub-Saharan neighbors South Africa and Nigeria have more HIV-positive citizens.

据估计，大约有150万名肯尼亚人是艾滋病毒携带者，这个数字占肯尼亚成人总数的6.3%。肯尼亚的艾滋病毒携带者已经多到，在撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地区，只有南非和尼日利亚的艾滋病毒携带者人数超过肯尼亚。

While analysts say the country has achieved some measure of success in reducing infection rates over the past decade, they estimate that only around 60 percent of Kenyans have been tested for HIV. NASCOP is hoping to have over 80 percent of the population tested by 2013, and is considering new methods to achieve that goal.

尽管在过去10年中肯尼亚在降低艾滋病毒感染率方面取得了一些成功，然而据估计，只有大约60%的肯尼亚人接受了艾滋病毒检测。肯尼亚全国艾滋病和性传播感染控制计划希望，在2013年之前，肯尼亚能有80%以上的人接受艾滋病毒检测，并且考虑采用新方法达到这一目标。

Earlier this week, Kenya’s Daily Nation reported that the country could adopt new hospital procedures which mandate HIV testing for adults seeking treatments for illnesses such as malaria. The same procedures would require testing for children seeking any medical treatment.

本周早些时候，肯尼亚的国家日报报道说，肯尼亚医院可能要采用新的规定，凡是因疟疾等疾病就医的成人必须进行艾滋病毒检测。根据同样的常规，医院也必须对前来看病的所有儿童进行艾滋病毒检测。

A host of ethics questions

Mandatory testing for HIV is generally viewed by rights organizations as a violation of privacy and an open invitation for discrimination. Martin Wood, a spokesperson for British HIV organization Avert, says the push for mandatory testing in Kenya is admirable but misguided and could end up hurting more patients than it helps.

强制检测艾滋病毒的做法被人权组织视为侵犯人权。这些组织争辩说，强制检测艾滋病毒既侵犯人们的隐私，又公然鼓励歧视。英国防治艾滋病毒组织发言人马丁.伍德说，在肯尼亚推动强制检测艾滋病毒既是值得赞扬的，又是被误导的，最终可能会伤害病人。

"If they’re in a situation where it’s compulsory that they are going to have an HIV test when seeking medical treatment," he says, "people may actually not go seeking that treatment because they’re scared of disclosure of their HIV status."

伍德说：“如果他们在看病时必须接受艾滋病毒检测，那么就可能出现这样的情况：有些人可能就不看病了，因为他们害怕暴露自己携带艾滋病毒的状况。”

The problem of social stigma, he explains, could raise public alarm about the proposed testing plans.

社会上的坏名声问题也使一些人对肯尼亚的艾滋病毒检测计划产生了警觉。

Kenya previously attempted to increase HIV testing through its Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) program. VCT centers were opened throughout the country to provide Kenyans with safe locations for testing, but experts -- including NASCOP Director Dr. Peter Cherutich -- say the risk of being viewed as promiscuous prevented many women from accessing services.

肯尼亚过去试图通过自愿咨询与检测计划来增加对艾滋病毒的检测，全国各地都设有自愿咨询与检测中心，为肯尼亚人提供安全的检测地点。可是，肯尼亚全国艾滋病和性传播感染控制计划主任彼得博士等专家说，一旦被检测出携带艾滋病毒，这些女性就会被视为性滥交，这种风险使许多女性不愿意进行检测。

While education levels within the country have increased in recent years, positive HIV status could threaten a person’s social standing or employment if their status is made public. And according to Asunta Wagura -- the executive director of the Kenya Network of Women with AIDS (KENWA) -- many communities in Kenya still regard positive-status with fear and misunderstanding.

尽管近年来肯尼亚的教育水平得到提高，但是一旦某些人的艾滋病毒阳性反应结果被公开，就会威胁到他们的社会地位和就业。据肯尼亚妇女艾滋病防治网络执行总监阿桑塔.瓦古拉说，肯尼亚许多社区仍对艾滋病毒阳性反应感到害怕，对病毒感染者存在误解。