ARTICLE | A Critique of Mandatory HIV Testing for Residency Renewal

For many expatriates, myself included, renewing a resident visa comes with a familiar routine: undergoing a mandatory medical test. On the surface, this requirement appears to be just another bureaucratic step in maintaining legal status. Yet, when revealed, the test is often focused almost exclusively on HIV. This focus raises serious ethical, human rights, and public health questions.

LIFESTYLE | HIV Case of a 23-Year Old Guy

HIV Case of a 23-Year Old Guy

I just couldn't get this out of mind, and it has been bothering me since I read about that article last night. The headline starts- "I'm an HIV positive person" which details the plight of a 23-year old Filipino guy who was begging for some financial support due to lack of resources to buy necessary medicine. To make matters worse, the guy has not disclosed his condition to his parents saying, and I quote "I am the bread winner in the family, and if my father learns about my situation, he would ask me to go back home; and I cannot do that since I am the only one sending them money and supporting my other siblings."