42 Kuwaiti soldiers 'quarantined and forced to retire after testing positive for HIV'
42 Kuwaiti soldiers 'quarantined and forced to retire after testing positive for HIV'
42 Kuwaiti military personnel were reportedly quarantined after testing positive for HIV, despite the fact that the condition cannot be transmitted through regular touch.
1 min read
The men were tested after some of them collapsed during intensive training [Getty]
Kuwait's Medical Testing Committee has quarantined 42 military personnel found to have tested positive for HIV, according to a report by Kuwait Times citing local daily newspaper Al-Qabas.
Those affected reportedly include 7 members of the National Guard, 21 in the army and 14 attached to the Ministry of Interior.
According to the Kuwait Times, the newspaper stated that some of the men in question collapsed during intensive training and suffered high fevers.
The patients were examinated and tested positive for HIV, according to the report.
They were subsequently placed on "medical retirement" and isolated into a "special ward" to undergo continuous medical examinations, including testing for Hepatitis C.
People with HIV and AIDS in the Middle East continue to be met with stigma and uninformed attitudes.
AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a condition that stems from the HIV virus and substantially weakens the immune system. The virus can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse or transfer of blood.
The virus cannot be contracted through regular touch.
On Thursday, unnamed Kuwaiti medical sources quoted by an Egyptian news outlet denied the report, but there has been no official statement from the Kuwaiti government so far.
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Those affected reportedly include 7 members of the National Guard, 21 in the army and 14 attached to the Ministry of Interior.
According to the Kuwait Times, the newspaper stated that some of the men in question collapsed during intensive training and suffered high fevers.
The patients were examinated and tested positive for HIV, according to the report.
They were subsequently placed on "medical retirement" and isolated into a "special ward" to undergo continuous medical examinations, including testing for Hepatitis C.
People with HIV and AIDS in the Middle East continue to be met with stigma and uninformed attitudes.
AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a condition that stems from the HIV virus and substantially weakens the immune system. The virus can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse or transfer of blood.
The virus cannot be contracted through regular touch.
On Thursday, unnamed Kuwaiti medical sources quoted by an Egyptian news outlet denied the report, but there has been no official statement from the Kuwaiti government so far.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected
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