Posted on 09/21/2006 9:49:28 AM PDT by jmc1969
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 deadly virus, federal health recommendations announced Thursday say.
"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.
"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.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnbc.com ...
Uh.... no.
as an added benefit.... they can let the insurance companies know what our DNA make-up is... so they can deny services based on our genetic make-up.
Where do I sign up!
In other words it's not going to happen....
The feds are starting to believe their own propaganda: "We all have AIDS."
Noooo, it's still pretty much the hypes and Mens Fitness subscribers. Test them, Mr. Goobermint Man in White Coat.
Why can't they set up testing clinics in high-risk areas, such as the Castro in San Francisco?
Or have clinics where high-risk people can be voluntarily tested? If you engage in high-risk behavior, you know who you are. You should be tested. For the rest of us, the risk is so small that the resources should be put to use somewhere else.
Insurance companies no doubt want this. And they want the results available in a database to which they have access.
They've been saying this for over 20 years.
Why is this news now?
And I want the feds and state and local govt. to stay the hell out of my business.
Also it is no my responsibility to pay for others hiv tests or anything wlse for that matter.
Hey big f-ing govt. quit spending MY MONEY.
Right. That's why I've never had my cholesterol checked or donated blood.
For quarantine purposes, certainly. But we know that ain't what its for.
Some quick math ... they estimate 250,000 HIV diagnosises. Soooo ... 250,000 divided by the US population (approx 300 mill, according to CIA world factbook) = .000845. Barely a measureable number. Not worth the taxpayer dollars at all.
Wonder what the false positive rate on the test is....
All they're doing is RECOMMENDING testing, the same way you get tested for TB. The military already tests everyone.
I agree its a waste of money, my point was that if they do it then there should be a reason for it, not just to tell someone that they have it and hope they don't spread it around. Identify them for the rest of the people who might cross paths with them and would need to know if they are HIV or not without trusting them to tell.
Follow the money - HIV tests are rather expensive, as we learned during the process of a Russian adoption. Who manufactures the tests and testing equipment, and to whom have they made campaign contributions?
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