Japan: Ministry Urges Better HIV Test Services

A Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry survey released recently said HIV tests outside business hours and tests with same-day results are not available in more than one-third of the 127 metropolitan, prefectural, and municipal governments that provide free HIV tests at public health centers. Following the survey, the ministry told local governments to improve HIV testing services to make them easier to access.

In 1993, with infections surging, public health centers began offering free, anonymous HIV tests. All 23 Tokyo wards, and metropolitan, prefectural, and municipal governments with populations exceeding 300,000, offer the tests. At first, testing was only available during business hours, and results took one to two weeks. Gradually, governments began offering testing after office hours or on weekends and national holidays. When certain local governments began offering rapid testing last year, the number of people seeking HIV tests skyrocketed.

The ministry survey showed that 14 prefectural and municipal governments have introduced the rapid test, with 15 other local governments planning to follow suit next fiscal year. Sixty-three local governments offer testing in the evenings, according to the survey, and 27 offer tests on weekends and national holidays.

However, the survey revealed, 43 prefectural and municipal governments provide neither the rapid test nor extended testing hours, exposing significant differences in HIV testing services among local governments.

"We understand the difficulties each local government has, but growth in the number of people infected with HIV is becoming very serious," said a ministry official. "It's very important for each local government to prepare a service that makes it easier to have an HIV test anywhere in the country, so that as many people as possible get tested."

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