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As recently as six years ago,
testing for HIV was an involved process requiring pretest counseling and
consent in writing. But public health officials seeking to boost testing rates
have relaxed those rules, and today HIV screening is performed at pharmacies,
health fairs, and bars - in addition to clinical settings.
“It all comes down to testing,” said
Dr. Brad Hare, medical director of San Francisco General Hospital’s HIV/AIDS
ward. “The sooner people get on treatment, the better their long-term health is
going to be, and if they get tested sooner, they can get into treatment sooner.
Plus, with treatment, they can reduce the chances of spreading HIV by 96
percent.”
CDC wants to cut the percentage of
Americans who are unaware of their HIV status from the current 20 percent to 10
percent by 2015. In late June, the agency announced an initiative at 24
pharmacies across the United States in which customers can request a rapid HIV
test administered by a pharmacist or another trained employee. “Millions of Americans
visit pharmacies each week,” said Paul Weidle, the CDC epidemiologist leading
the project.
In early July, the Food and Drug
Administration approved the first over-the-counter, home-based rapid HIV
testing kit. The OraQuick test targets those who have never been tested and
those who are at high-risk of contracting HIV and should get tested regularly.
“HIV is still a lethal infection and
can lead to incredibly debilitating illness for people who delay treatment,”
said Dr. Nicholas Moss, clinical director of the HIV prevention section of the
San Francisco Public Health Department. “The changes in how we approach testing
reflect the fact that when we identify people who have HIV, we have very good
treatment. The benefits of knowing your status are now clearer than ever.”
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
