Can a 14-year-old go for an HIV test on their own in Vietnam?

Can a 14-year-old go for an HIV test on their own in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 27 of the Law on HIV/AIDS prevention and control in 2006 (amended by Clause 8 Article 1 of the Law on amendments to the Law on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in 2020) stipulating voluntary HIV testing as follows:

1. HIV testing shall only be conducted on the basis of voluntariness of persons to be tested.

2. Persons aged 15, or older, and capable of civil acts may voluntarily request HIV test.

3. HIV tests for persons aged under 15, incapacitated persons, persons with limited cognition or behavior control, and persons with limited legal capacity shall be performed only after obtaining written contents of their parents, guardians or lawful representatives.

Therefore, according to the above regulations, people from the age of 15 and above with the capacity to exercise civil acts are allowed to voluntarily request an HIV test. Since you are only 14 years old this year, you are still not old enough to go for an HIV test on your own. If you want to get an HIV test, you need to have the written consent of your parents.

Can a 14-year-old go for an HIV test on their own in Vietnam? - Source: Internet

Is the result of an HIV test positive reported directly to the parents in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 2 Article 30 of the Law on HIV/AIDS prevention and control in 2006 (amended by Clause 10 Article 1 of the Law on amendments to the Law on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in 2020) stipulating notification of HIV positive testing results as follows:

Positive HIV test results shall only be notified to the following persons:

a) Persons getting tested for HIV;

b) Spouses of persons getting tested for HIV; parents, guardians or lawful representatives of persons getting tested for HIV who are persons aged under 18, incapacitated persons, persons with limited cognition or behavior control, or persons with limited legal capacity;

c) Persons who are assigned to provide counseling or notify positive HIV test results to persons getting tested for HIV;

d) Heads of agencies/units assigned to carry out HIV/AIDS epidemiological surveillance; persons assigned to carry out HIV/AIDS epidemiological surveillance;

dd) Heads and chief nurses of departments, wards and other divisions of health facilities where HIV-infected persons are receiving treatment; healthcare workers who give direct care and treatment to HIV-infected persons at health facilities;

e) Heads, persons in charge of healthcare tasks, and healthcare workers who are assigned to give direct care to HIV-infected persons at correctional institutions, reform schools, rehabilitation centers, social protection facilities, prisons and detention centers;

g) Heads and officials who are assigned with tasks of the agencies mentioned in Clause 1 Article 28 of this Law.

Therefore, according to the above regulations, the results of an HIV test positive, in addition to being announced to the person being tested, will also be announced to the parents of people under the age of 18. Since you are 14 years old, the results of an HIV test positive will still be directly announced to your parents.

Where to get an HIV test in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 29 of the Law on HIV/AIDS prevention and control in 2006 (amended by Clause 9 Article 1 of the Law on amendments to the Law on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in 2020) stipulating HIV-testing establishments meeting all the conditions for confirming HIV positive cases as follows:

1. HIV screening tests are performed at health facilities or community-based settings and self-performed.

2. HIV confirmatory tests are only performed by laboratories eligible to perform HIV confirmatory tests. When receiving test results, persons getting tested for HIV must provide their residential addresses and ID cards, citizen’s identity cards, passports or other unexpired photo-bearing identification documents issued by competent authorities.

3. Eligibility requirements, application and procedures for recognition of laboratories eligible to perform HIV confirmatory tests shall comply with the Government’s regulations.

As regulations above, HIV screening tests are performed at health facilities or community-based settings and self-performed.

Best regards!