NIGERIA: "With this HIV test, I thee wed"

LAGOS Thursday, November 20, 2008 (IRIN) - Getting married in Nigeria often requires more than just the bride and groom turning up at the altar, and having witnesses and wedding rings present: many Christian churches also require an HIV test certificate. It may not seem particularly compassionate, but in an era when sex before marriage is the norm, several orthodox and some pentecostal churches are promoting mandatory testing as clear-eyed thinking. The intention is to prevent HIV infection,...