Testing IS Important
The testing requirement in the D.R. for applicants for immigration is not unlike similar testing requirements in other countries. So, what?s the big deal? The health of applicants has been a legitimate concern of sovereign nations for a very long time. No universal right of transit between nations for persons with deadly infectious diseases has ever been granted, that I am familiar with. Communities adopt standards as they deem proper for the orderly life and protection of their members. Immigration is a privilege, not a right.
Companies that test employees, and potential employees, that serve the public (such as food and beverage service) are acting responsibly to protect their customers, and in this age of litigation to protect their shareholders. Employees infected with the HIV virus and/or those who are substance abusers, even if they have acquired their conditions due to no deliberate actions of their own, pose a risk to the public, in certain situations. Yes, compassion is called for, but the rights of those who can injure me end at the point where my right to life begins.
Many tourists to the D.R. place themselves at great risk of acquiring HIV and STD's because of the seemingly ever-present lure of prostitution. Visitors from the world-over travel to the D.R. to have inexpensive sex, and these sex workers have redefined the term 'multiple partners'. The foreign tourist will, almost certainly, use a condom while engaging in intercourse because they are, generally, aware of the risks involved. The low rate of condom useage by Dominicanos, however, discloses the reason for the high rate of infection among the population. Substandard education creates an environment of ignorance. I'm unaware of a condom manufacturer that states that useage of a condom 'prevents' the transmission of HIV and other STD's. They do all make the claim that useage 'may reduce' the transmission, and in that assertion they are accurate.
Testing, although not 100% accurate, is an important tool in identifying many persons who are infected, and, early identification can, in many cases, prolong the life of the infected person and prevent the infection of countless others. Yes, not all testing is accurate. Yes, it may take a longer period of time for the disease to appear in some, but then almost immediately for others. Testing is not flaw-proof. Abstinence from casual sex a laudable goal, but not a realistic expectation. Rather than offer comments that may discourage some to go for testing, most medical doctors worldwide encourage persons who feel that they are at risk to be tested. The next time someone tells you that they have been tested and that the test indicated that they tested 'negative' for the HIV virus....remember, it means something....they made the effort at some point to protect themselves and others. To suggest otherwise is to act irresponsibly.