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anyone the past five years you must get tested--I don't care if you are
gay, nongay, male, female, married, single, young old!! Yes, we know
your mate would never cheat on you but unless you are with them 24/7
get tested!!! Trust has nothing to do with it!)
Many with HIV unaware
In
2006, nearly 25 percent of the 60,000-plus Americans who had newly
contracted the HIV virus were not aware of it, and thus weren't getting
treatment or protecting their sexual partners. Today it's 21 percent --
an improvement, but nowhere near enough, said speakers at an HIV/AIDS
conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
''It's crucial to
understand how important routine HIV testing is at every level of
American society so everyone knows their status; it's the first step in
controlling the HIV epidemic,'' said Dr. Veronica Miller, executive
director of the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research.
In Florida, new testing programs are helping, but also are not enough, state health officials say.
New
HIV cases in the United States continue at a relatively stable rate of
more than 60,000 per year, according to studies prepared for the forum.
It means 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV, and as many as
250,000 don't know it.
In 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention set new goals, urging routine HIV testing for
all of those from 13 to 64.
''Testing should be as routine as flu shots,'' she said.
In
Florida, new HIV testing sites have been set up in nine major
hospitals, three community health centers, 10 clinics for sexually
transmitted diseases and 10 correctional facilities, according to a
summary of a paper prepared by Tom Liberti, chief of the Bureau of
HIV/AIDS of the Florida Department of Health. The summary did not list
the hospitals or health centers and the state agency did not have
information about them.
Between October 2007 and July 2008, the
Florida programs tested 43,481 individuals for HIV, identifying 1,042
people infected, the report said. The goal is to test 150,000 a year.
Liberti could not be reached for comment.
Miami-Dade's four
sexually transmitted disease clinics test about 16,000 patients a year
for HIV, said their medical director, Dr. Jose Castro, a University of
Miami infectious disease doctor.
Until recently, it took two
weeks to get the results of HIV tests and many patients failed to come
back for the results. Now the clinics have instant HIV-testing kits.
''They can learn their status before they leave,'' Castro said, ``and we can get them into treatment.''
Jackson
Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami Hospital test only a
small percentage of patients who go through their emergency rooms.
Baptist,
South Miami, Doctors, Homestead and Mariners' hospitals are not part of
Liberti's nine-hospital program. And walk-in HIV testing is not offered
in their emergency rooms, though anyone treated for diseases or
accidents is offered the testing. ''If any patient asks, or if what he
says to the doctor raises the possibility, we offer it,'' said Barbara
Russell, director of infection control for the above hospitals. The
hospitals also offer the same-day testing.
Conference members detailed the crisis:
• 50 to 70 percent of new HIV cases were spread by people who did not know they were infected.
• Even
among patients seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases -- a
high-risk population -- only 36 percent are tested for HIV.
• Even
though new drugs can greatly reduce the rate of mother-to-child
transmission at birth, only 59 percent of pregnant women are tested for
HIV.
2006, nearly 25 percent of the 60,000-plus Americans who had newly
contracted the HIV virus were not aware of it, and thus weren't getting
treatment or protecting their sexual partners. Today it's 21 percent --
an improvement, but nowhere near enough, said speakers at an HIV/AIDS
conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
''It's crucial to
understand how important routine HIV testing is at every level of
American society so everyone knows their status; it's the first step in
controlling the HIV epidemic,'' said Dr. Veronica Miller, executive
director of the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research.
In Florida, new testing programs are helping, but also are not enough, state health officials say.
New
HIV cases in the United States continue at a relatively stable rate of
more than 60,000 per year, according to studies prepared for the forum.
It means 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV, and as many as
250,000 don't know it.
In 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention set new goals, urging routine HIV testing for
all of those from 13 to 64.
''Testing should be as routine as flu shots,'' she said.
In
Florida, new HIV testing sites have been set up in nine major
hospitals, three community health centers, 10 clinics for sexually
transmitted diseases and 10 correctional facilities, according to a
summary of a paper prepared by Tom Liberti, chief of the Bureau of
HIV/AIDS of the Florida Department of Health. The summary did not list
the hospitals or health centers and the state agency did not have
information about them.
Between October 2007 and July 2008, the
Florida programs tested 43,481 individuals for HIV, identifying 1,042
people infected, the report said. The goal is to test 150,000 a year.
Liberti could not be reached for comment.
Miami-Dade's four
sexually transmitted disease clinics test about 16,000 patients a year
for HIV, said their medical director, Dr. Jose Castro, a University of
Miami infectious disease doctor.
Until recently, it took two
weeks to get the results of HIV tests and many patients failed to come
back for the results. Now the clinics have instant HIV-testing kits.
''They can learn their status before they leave,'' Castro said, ``and we can get them into treatment.''
Jackson
Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami Hospital test only a
small percentage of patients who go through their emergency rooms.
Baptist,
South Miami, Doctors, Homestead and Mariners' hospitals are not part of
Liberti's nine-hospital program. And walk-in HIV testing is not offered
in their emergency rooms, though anyone treated for diseases or
accidents is offered the testing. ''If any patient asks, or if what he
says to the doctor raises the possibility, we offer it,'' said Barbara
Russell, director of infection control for the above hospitals. The
hospitals also offer the same-day testing.
Conference members detailed the crisis:
• 50 to 70 percent of new HIV cases were spread by people who did not know they were infected.
• Even
among patients seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases -- a
high-risk population -- only 36 percent are tested for HIV.
• Even
though new drugs can greatly reduce the rate of mother-to-child
transmission at birth, only 59 percent of pregnant women are tested for
HIV.
