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CDC's 2006 HIV recommendation that all persons ages 13 to 64 be routinely screened for HIV in health care settings is being ignored, said Wichita physician Donna Sweet. "That was four years ago. It is one of the most widely undone [tests] and disregarded guidelines in medicine. Physicians still haven't given up the old 'I can tell by looking,' risk-based testing," said Sweet, an internal medicine practitioner and professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Sweet said the recent case of the Air Force sergeant accused of having unprotected sex repeatedly without disclosing his HIV-positive status "points out that people have forgotten about this disease."
Physicians can easily offer HIV along with other age- or risk-appropriate screening tests. If the patient declines the offer for HIV testing, it can be noted in his or her file, said Sweet. But if a patient sees two or three doctors and is never offered the test, then turns out to be infected, "It's just like a failed diagnosis for cancer, and you've got a lawsuit there. It's really about the fact that this disease carries so much stigma and always has," she said.
Sandra Springer, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's HIV/AIDS director, said people who are at high risk for the virus and other STDs should get tested every three to six months. Knowing your HIV status and getting treated are important to the health of the community, said Springer, because "if someone is in care, they are less likely to transmit the disease to their partner because of a decreased viral load. It's still possible but not as likely if on treatment."
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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