...and clapte the wyndow to

You'd think that trained counsellors would be able to understand the meaning of the window period (the period of up to three months between infection with HIV and the generation of sufficient antibodies to produce a positive result from the HIV test). But no, they almost always seem to tell clients with a non-reactive result that they need to come back in three months for another test, regardless of when the last risky event took place.

I've just had a question from a very worried young man with HIV in Bali. His wife is due to give birth in a couple of weeks, and he's just got around to thinking about whether his wife is infected. She was tested a couple of weeks back, with a non-reactive result. 'Naturally', the counsellor is worried that she might be in the window period, so told her it's not certain she's not infected. Seems the counsellor didn't ask her or her husband when they last had unprotected sex. I just talked to the husband; in fact it's been more than six months since they had sex without a condom. So the wife is negative, and they don't need to worry.

Because of the 'uncertainty', she's being pressured to have a Caesarian, which they can't afford, which isn't necessary, and which could put her at risk.

Of course, in theory, the couple make the decision. In fact, the moral pressure is immense.

Babé