HIV/AIDS: the labour market implications of compulsory testing.

OBJECTIVE It is intended in this brief paper to outline the policy direction that ought to be followed regarding the phenomenon of HIV/AIDS and the workplace. In essence, this is a viewpoint instructed by data and research and not anecdotal evidence. METHODS This is not primary research as it utilizes secondary material from existing literature as well as data from government sources. The method is a strict narrative regarding the data and frequencies and there there are no sophisticated statistical packages used for data analysis. RESULTS On examining the data, it is clear that young women are disproportionately represented in the HIV and unemployment data. CONCLUSION It is therefore likely that if testing for the purposes of employment is allowed to continue, it will create a disincentive to seek employment and thus will help to drive the infection underground.