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If it is asked that what should be the pre-requisites of getting qualified for a graduation degree the answer is likely to be the minimum qualification marks in the educational institution they are in. Along with that some people would like to add qualities like hard work, sincerity and discipline. It is really hard to think of a mandatory HIV testing as a requirement to become a graduate. But in some cases this demand has been made by the Universities to the students to prove that they are not HIV positive before getting graduated (Lamb, 2009).
HIV or the “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” (Kaldor, 2007), the cause of AIDS or “Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome” (Kaldor, 2007)is no doubt a dreaded name and its spread should be stopped with agility. However, subjecting students to a mandatory screening as a condition to become graduates appears rather a negative approach than a positive one. There is no visible link between the positive or negative HIV status of a student with becoming a graduate. Whether a student is HIV positive or not has nothing to do with the capacity of a student to be able to complete the graduation successfully. Therefore, this essay holds a strong opposition against the statement “With adequate policies maintaining the privacy of medical information, HIV testing of high school seniors should be a mandatory requirement for graduation” (Wools-Kaloustian, 2010).
Though surprising, the statement against which this essay holds opinion is the proof itself of this strange requirement of being a graduate. Some universities are of the opinion that the senior high school students need to undergo a mandatory test of their HIV status if they want to become graduates. The reasons they show behind this demand are varied (Lamb, 2009).
The example of such a strange requirement is the Covenant University of Nigeria. Covenant University is considered to be the best private University in Nigeria. There had been strong voices against the Vice Chancellor Bishop Oyedepo raised by several NGOs dealing with AIDS because of the firm stand of the university on the policy to make students go through mandatory HIV screening as a pre requisite of graduation. The website, www.nigeriahealthwatch.com, made a mention on August 7, 2007 of the stand of the Vice Chancellor Bishop Oyedepo on this policy. And, surprisingly enough, the Vice Chancellor was quoted with a supporting voice in one of the most respected news dailies of Nigeria, Thisday Newspapers which had defended the views of Bishop Oyedepo (Nigeria Health watch, 2007).
If a renowned educational institution like the Covenant University had thought of a policy of mandatory HIV screening of students to become graduate it will not be unexpected to give rise to a doubt on the understanding we have about HIV and AIDS. The environment of Covenant University is considered to be favorable for achievements and free of effects of any unfavorable activities for education. Such an educational institution of high quality is believed to be governed by enlightened people. Still if a policy like mandatory HIV screening of students is formulated by the governing body of the University it is the indication of a serious lack of proper understanding of HIV/AIDS and the rights of people affected by HIV (Kaldor, 2007).