In early February 2012 the Chinese Ministry of Health announced that it intends to introduce so-called “real-name” HIV
testing. The measure aims to help health officials to follow up with those who test positive. Instead, the new policy would discourage many people from getting tested at all.

Asia Catalyst supports the China Alliance for People Living with HIV/AIDS (CAP+), the China Gay Health Forum and many other Chinese AIDS activists in calling on the Ministry of Health to reject real-name testing and strengthen privacy protections at hospitals and testing sites. China’s leaders should pass–and enforce–stronger laws to ban discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.

See our letter to the Minister of Health, Dr.Chen Zhu here and see our full list of signatories to our online petition after the jump.