In Armenia, a 14-Year-Old Child Can Go for an HIV Test and Keep Their Infection Status Secret, Says MP

The National Assembly is discussing a package of legislation significantly related to children. MP Taguhi Tovmasyan made this statement in parliament while addressing the package presented by Deputy Minister of Health Lena Nanushyan.

"By lowering the threshold from 16 to 14, we are enabling the opportunity for a 14-year-old child to go independently to get tested for HIV, and afterward, to keep their infection status confidential. We do not know what consequences this risk might have," she said.

The MP also noted that the Deputy Minister was unable to clarify the real objectives of the proposal, nor provide convincing arguments regarding its actual purpose. "If our issue is the fight against HIV, it is at least troubling that the HIV center should not be dispersed among other centers and become just one branch," she added.

Furthermore, the MP expressed a desire to understand why the provision in the criminal code regarding penalties for deliberately infecting another person has been removed.