Hungary is a country with relatively low HIV prevalence. Since 1989, a wide range of HIV prevention projects has been developed both by government agencies and by an increasingly active voluntary sector. While energy and resources continue to be invested in HIV information and education, some senior public health officials have argued that it is the country's compulsory HIV testing and compulsory reporting system which have enabled it to maintain its low seroprevalence levels. The testing and reporting system are soon to be reformed, however, in response to growing demands for better protection of personal privacy and confidentiality. Whether or not the forthcoming reforms will have an impact on EW prevention, and what the nature of this impact will be, remain to be seen. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.