anybody else find this a little disturbing?




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CDC: Test all Americans 13-64 routinely for HIV
Updated 9/21/2006 2:11 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this


Enlarge Tampa Tribune file photo via AP

Under the new guidelines, patients would be tested for HIV as part of a standard battery of tests they receive when they go for urgent or emergency care, or even during a routine physical.




ATLANTA (AP) — All Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 should be routinely tested for HIV to help catch infections earlier and stop the spread of the virus linked to AIDS, federal health recommendations announced Thursday say.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said HIV testing should become about as common as a cholesterol check. Nearly half of new HIV infections are discovered when doctors are trying to diagnose a sick patient who has come for care, CDC officials said.

"We know that many HIV infected people seek health care and they don't get tested. And many people are not diagnosed until late in the course of their illness, when they're already sick with HIV-related conditions," said Dr. Timothy Mastro, acting director of the CDC's division of HIV/AIDS prevention.

ON DEADLINE: More information from the CDC

"By identifying people earlier through a screening program, we'll allow them to access life-extending therapy, and also through prevention services, learn how to avoid transmitting HIV infection to others," he said.

The announcement was hailed by some HIV patient advocates and health policy experts. They said the guidelines could help end the stigma of HIV testing and lead to needed care for an estimated 250,000 Americans who don't yet know they have the disease.

"I think it's an incredible advance. I think it's courageous on the part of the CDC," said A. David Paltiel, a health policy expert at the Yale University School of Medicine.

The recommendations aren't legally binding, but they influence what doctors do and what health insurance programs cover.

Some physicians groups predict the recommendations will be challenging to implement, involving new expenditures of money and time for testing, counseling and revising consent procedures.

Some physicians also question whether there is enough evidence to expand testing beyond high-risk groups, said Dr. Larry Fields, the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

"Are doctors going to do it? Probably not," Fields said.

But the recommendations were endorsed by the American Medical Association, which urged physicians to comply.

"This is important public health strategy to stop the spread of HIV," Dr. Nancy Nielsen, a Buffalo-based physician who sits on the AMA's governing board, said in a statement.

Previously, the CDC recommended routine testing for those at high-risk for catching the virus, such as intravenous drug users and gay men, and for hospitals and certain other institutions serving areas where HIV is common. It also recommends testing for all pregnant women.

Under the new guidelines, patients would be tested for HIV as part of a standard battery of tests they receive when they go for urgent or emergency care, or even during a routine physical.

Patients wouldn't get tested every year: Repeated, annual testing would only be recommended only for those at high-risk.

There would be no consent form specifically for the HIV test; it would be covered in a clinic or hospital's standard care consent form. Patients would be allowed to decline the testing.
CDC officials have been working on revised recommendations for about three years, and sought input from more than 100 organizations, including doctors' associations and HIV patient advocacy groups. The CDC presented planned revisions at a scientific conference in February.

Since then, the CDC has strengthened language on informed consent to make sure that no one is tested without their knowledge, and emphasized the need for doctors to provide information on HIV tests and the meaning of positive and negative results.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted 9/21/2006 12:08 PM ET

" Patients would be allowed to decline the testing. "

Mach said:

Exactly.


In any case, it makes perfect sense to me.

CarrieMpls said:

getting tested for hiv is a huge decision. some people, i gather, might not be as emotionally prepared for the results as others. for example, someone in a "committed" relationship might casually consent to the test, thinking that there's no way their test could come back possible, not knowing that their partner is screwing around. when i first got tested years ago, the wait was excruciating. bundling this test with cholesterol and reflex exams just seems...weird.

Fury said:

That's the reason why right there.

Fury said:

To be quite honest....my last physical I had my blood tested for HIV, cholesterol, sugar, and endocrine health. So having all that done at the same time is cool with me. I aced all of them! I got my results quick too. I'm all for it. Too many women are getting infected. Too many men are "double dipping". We need to protect ourselves

wouldn't bother me, i've had a hiv test and a battery of std tests each time i was prego , btw, i think its a good idea

Shouldn't have to worry if you been playing it safe.

brownsugar said:

Same here. You have no choice when you get pregnant, they test you for everything immediately. That was totally fine with me.

And I think it's a good idea too.

I think it's a fantastic idea

funkpill said:

Even playing it safe...unless you abstain doesn't really give you a free ride. And women are in fear of HPV. That stuff spreads even if you use condoms. So big mouth (I'm saying this jokingly). How safe can you be. Basically, no sex.

I also have a girlfriend that went for a check up while pregnant and she found out she had an STD. She's married....which means that asshole husband of hers gave her a gift that kept on giving while pregnant. Asshole! So you can play it safe all you want, but it still doesn't make up for what other folks will do to you.

good deal.

I just don't like the fact they want to get rid of the counseling part but testing should be routine.

KatSkrizzle said:

Point taken


Big Mouth????