Normalising testing : normalising AIDS

This is an abridged version of a speech made as a tribute to Ronald Louw Memorial Campaign at the launch of a campaign called 'Get Tested, Get Treated'. It suggests that stigma, discrimination and unnecessary suffering can be combatted by supporting the normalisation of AIDS, which in turn would encourage earlier diagnosis. The author calls for the re-medicalisation of the diagnosis of HIV, and advocates for routine HIV testing as long as three conditions are met: i) ART is avalable; ii) diagnosis of positive status doesn't lead to discrimination; iii) confidentiality is guaranteed. This brief article makes a valuable contribution to the debate around HIV testing, stigma and issues of confidentiality