Kelly's Blog

There is just no other way to say this…

HIV testing laws in this country are ridiculous.

I read through some of the laws at this site: http://www.nccc.ucsf.edu/consultation_library/state_hiv_testing_laws/

HIV testing should just be part of regular healthcare process. Get a physical – get tested in the same way that our cholesterol and blood sugar are tested. What is so difficult about that? Why make it so hard with the requirements for pre and post-test counseling and written consent as it is in many states? Why single out this test?

In September 2006, the CDC  recommended routine HIV testing for all Americans aged 13–64, which would eliminate requirements for written consent and pretest counseling. It is four years later and many of the states have yet to change their laws.

In fact, they call it one of the most widely undone and disregarded guidelines in medicine!

Last week we were all talking about the newly released study from the CDC that looked at gay males in 21 major cities. The researchers found that 20% were HIV positive and 44% did not know their status. These are shocking numbers that make an entire population at risk. As a gay male, you could look around a room and basically one out of every ten people don’t know that they can transmit a catastrophic disease to you.

There is finally a new law in New York requiring that HIV tests routinely be offered to all New Yorkers between the ages of 13 to 64. The CDC estimates more than 100,000 people in New York City are infected and about one in five don’t know their status. That makes about 20,000 people potentially infecting others and not knowing it in just one city.

New York health officials expect to see a rise in new cases of HIV and that is the intent of the new law.

Do you know the law in your state? Please check it out and let your legislature know that HIV testing needs to be an easy process to encourage as many people as possible to get tested.

It only makes sense.