HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) in Schools: Ethical Implications to Long Term Support Structures

Abstract

The argument of this article is that if the recent proposal by the department of Health and Department of education in South Africa for a school-based HIV counselling and testing programme were to be effective, then there is the need to pay much attention to the long term support structures such as Parents, Carers, Guardians and Spiritual leaders as those who will carry the long term responsibilities of the teens once the test is completed. This argument is based on the fact that though the recent promises a potential and positive response in seeing that a number of people know their status and those who test positive can access early medication, the programme may well have negative consequences for families ill-equipped to deal with the outcome of the testing. Through the lens of ethical theory of Consequentialism, the article suggest that there are long term implications for the families as well as, communities therefore all key role players in the adolescent’s life need to rethink their approach of engagement to issues around sex and sexuality, HIV infections and sexual behaviours