As health officials encourage more HIV testing, the BC Civil Liberties Association wants to make sure people know their privacy rights.
Local health authorities have been pushing a new campaign to have more people get tested in a bid to get rid of the disease.
“While we absolutely support increased access to testing and treatment – like, who doesn’t? – the question is do people have the information to properly exercise their rights?”
BCCLA policy director Micheal Vonn says the association has come out with two new handbooks to help people protect themselves.
Vonn says the confidentiality around medical records has changed, and they are now contained on centralized government databases.
So, she says, people should know about all the issues before consenting to testing.
“This little booklet will give you a quick summary of what the issues are that you want to be apprised of and will give you an opening to ask questions for your (health care) provider.”
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