This time around, young men and women are not amused by the church regulations. Mandatory testing violates human and religious rights, she adds. Instead, people should be encouraged to test voluntarily. Her concern is shared by some religious leaders. Young people are showing their anger by avoiding church weddings.
Most couples now prefer civil marriages.
Those who feel that they must get married in a church but do not like the idea of testing for HIV find a way of arranging their wedding in a nearby diocese that does not insist on mandatory testing. Increasing criticisms has forced the Roman Catholic Church in Tanzania to intervene and direct its dioceses to stop the practice. Luanda suggests that traditions that spread AIDS, such as widow inheritance and female circumcision, should be discouraged. Alfred Mbogora is an assistant editor with Sauti Ya Demokrasia, a monthly newspaper on democracy published by the University of Dar es Salaam. This article was supplied by Gemini News Service .