Quick. What’s your cholesterol level? Then what is your HIV status? According to the CDC, HIV testing should become as common as testing for cholesterol. Here’s the article as it appeared in my Plain Dealer:
Atlanta – Federal health officials Thursday recommended regular voluntary testing for the AIDS virus for all Americans ages 13 to 64, saying an HIV test should be as common as a cholesterol check.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines are aimed at preventing the further spread of the disease and getting needed care for an estimated 250,000 Americans who don’t yet know they have it.
Take a look at the data from the CDC: Estimated numbers of cases of HIV/AIDS, by year of diagnosis and selected characteristics of persons, 2001–2004—35 areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting. For 2004, 85% of males reported with HIV were homosexual, IV drug users, or both. For the same year, 20% of the females were IV drug users and the majority acquired their disease through heterosexual contact. The percentage of their male partners who were gay or drug users is not reported.
HIV infection is associated overwhelmingly associated with high risk behavior. Why test everyone? The article has it right I think:
The guidelines could help end the stigma of HIV testing, prevent further spread of the disease, and lead to needed care for an estimated 250,000 Americans who don’t yet know they have it, CDC officials said.
That’s it exactly. The same bureaucrats who tried to tell people during the Clinton years that AIDS was a disease that everyone may get (so as not to offend the sensibilities of those engaging in risky behavior) are now telling us that we all should be tested so that those who really need testing will not be offended and treated differently. What about the false positives? Testing low risk populations will certainly result in a number of false positives and those mistakenly identified with the HIV virus will initially be hurt, won’t they? What about the cost?
Common sense suggests that only those who engage in high risk behavior need be tested. Put politics aside and develop realistic and common sense strategies.
It’s enough to make you sick.
