Italian teenagers will be able to take an HIV test without parental consent

Italian citizens under the age of majority will be able to get tested for HIV without parental approval, the Adnkronos portal reported, citing the country's health minister, Julia Grillo.

Diagnostics for HIV will be conducted in specially designated premises and equipped for these purposes, the publication quotes the head of the department. The authorities, with the support of child rights advocates and non-profit organizations fighting HIV / AIDS, are already addressing this issue.

As Ms. Grillo noted, studies show that in Italy, HIV infection in recent years has significantly become “younger”: the virus is increasingly common in young people who have not yet reached the age of 18. However, due to the inability to pass the test without parental consent, many of them are not aware of their status and go to doctors when the infection is already running.