Executive Summary

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expresses serious concern over reports referred to the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) alleging that certain medical or allied medical schools require applicants or students to undergo HIV testing as a condition for admission, enrollment, or clinical placement.

While this advisory does not make a final factual determination against specific institutions, such practices, if verified, would violate Republic Act No. 11166 (Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act) and related human rights standards. Under the law, HIV testing must be strictly voluntary, confidential, and based on genuine informed consent.

The appropriate response to HIV in medical education is not coercion or exclusion, but rather: evidence-based infection control, universal precautions, and robust anti-discrimination standards. Medical schools must model the ethical and rights-respecting practices they instill in future healthcare professionals.

This Advisory applies to all public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines offering medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other health-related programs, including their clinics, admission offices, and partner training hospitals.
However, this does not preclude schools from enforcing lawful, evidence-based health measures necessary for clinical training. What is strictly prohibited is using HIV testing or an individual’s HIV status as a gatekeeping mechanism for education.