AIDS Society of India urges govt to include HIV self-testing in policies

The AIDS Society of India (ASI) on Friday urged the government to include HIV self-testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medicine, taken to prevent from HIV, in its policies and programmes without much delay.

One in five people living with HIV in the country do not know their HIV status. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended HIV self-testing as part of HIV care cascade as it is an important approach to



address gaps in HIV diagnoses, especially among key populations, in 2019.

“We need to ensure that 100 per cent of people living with HIV know their status so that they can receive full cascade of HIV care services and stay virally suppressed (undetectable viral load) – which is essential for them to live full and healthy lives – as well as to end AIDS,” said Dr Ishwar Gilada, President-Emeritus, AIDS Society of India (ASI).