A Decade of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre

Anonymous
Clinic

t was in July 1991, that the TRCS established Thailand's first Anonymous
Clinic for HIV Counselling and Testing. The need for anonymity is essential
when dealing with matters of confidentiality This was intended to provide an
alternate test site for people at risk so that they could volunteer to be tested
without having their own identify revealed. Thai Red Cross AIDS
Research Centre (TRC ARC) has campaigned strongly for the
protection of human rights on AIDS related issues. It successfully
lobbied against the Anti-AIDS Bill, which sought to force people
believed to be at risk to take an AIDS test and be quarantined if
positive. The Director and Deputy Director were members of the
Sub-Committee on Review of the AIDS Bill which was
instrumental in the bills rejection. The Bill was finally rejected
in December 1991 after this recommendation together with
many public hearings had called for the plan to be curtailed.
In August 1991, the TRCS proposed to the
National AIDS Committee that the Ministry Of Health lift
the Ministerial Act that required all hospitals and
laboratories to report names and addresses of HIV
patients to authorities. The constant threat of leaks of
confidentiality, stigmatisation and social
rejection were major concerns for patients and
the eventual lifting of this requirement in 1/
November 1991 was a great step forward in theHU A
protection of human rights of patients. Also the
TRCS, in collaboration with other nongovernmental and international organisations,
persuaded the Government to lift the
immigration law that prohibited foreign people
with HIV from entering the country.
One of the reasons for the Government's change of attitude was the
popularity of the first Anonymous Clinic. Since its opening there were between 60
and 100 people attending daily. It is still the largest of its kind in Thailand and for
convenience purposes, it is open weekdays until 7 PM and until 12 noon on Saturday
mornings.
The clinic also provides anonymous testing services for CD4, Hepatitis B,
and for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The clinic provides a full
counselling service throughout and after the testing process. Although it does not
provide treatment for HIV-related conditions directly, it is able to refer those in need
of medical care to appropriate services, such as the Immune Clinic at Chulalongkorn
Hospital mentioned above.
The Anonymous Clinic as a Model..,,.

Number of Anonymous Clinic
Cases from 1991 to Present

18,000 -16,000 -14,000 -1 2 9
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0 -Jul-Dec 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Jan-Sep
1991 2001

In recognition of the success of this clinic, the
Ministry of Public Health has used it as a model in setting
up similar clinics in other districts of Thailand. The TRC
ARC has also provided assistance to other hospitals and
agencies when planning to establish anonymous
counselling and testing centres.

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THE THAI RED CROSS AIDS RESEARCH CENTRE 2002 7