Anonymous Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections Apart from HIV

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will consider allowing anonymous testing for other sexually transmitted infections apart from HIV; and (b) if not, why not.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health (MOH) implemented anonymous Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing to encourage at-risk individuals to come forward for HIV testing. This was necessary as at-risk individuals might be deterred by the requirement to notify MOH of the case details of a positive result under the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA).

Personal identifiers are not required for the notification of other sexually transmitted infections under IDA, namely, syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia.