Law change in Singapore to nudge more with HIV to get tested and treated

Currently, 85 per cent of those living with HIV in Singapore know they have the virus, said the Ministry of Health. - PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A recent law change that removes the requirement for some people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to disclose their condition to their sexual partners, provided they maintain an undetectable viral load, will help Singapore meet global targets to end HIV as a public health threat, said health experts.

This is because the amendment to the Infectious Diseases Act that passed in Parliament on March 7 is likely to encourage more individuals living with HIV to get tested and start treatment, said Assistant Professor Dariusz Piotr Olszyna, director of the HIV Programme at the National University Hospital.