True love is a Valentine AIDS test in South Africa
Source: Reuters
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 14 (Reuters) - South Africans tired of flowers and chocolates might want to give their loved-ones a more practical gift this Valentine's Day -- an AIDS test. A Johannesburg clinic is offering a his-and-hers HIV test at a special Valentine price of 20 rand ($2.77) per couple, which it bills as an ideal gift in a country where about one in nine people are infected with the virus that causes AIDS. "In just a few minutes you and your partner can have complete peace of mind," the Zuzimpilo Medical Centre said in a statement. "Now that's a gift worth sharing." The offer includes pre and post-test counselling plus tips on how to stay HIV-free for those who test negative, and a test to determine whether patients who test positive need life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs. AIDS activists in Cape Town are also using the festival of love to tackle one of the world's highest HIV caseloads by blitzing shopping malls with free testing facilities.
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