HIV Tests May Become Part Of Your Annual Exam

Soon, when you go to the doctor’s office for a checkup, you could expect to get an HIV test as part of your exam to test high cholesterol.
That’s what’s being proposed under new federal guidelines, which recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to issue the recommendation in September. It signals a shift in how some doctors and health advocates hope HIV and AIDS will be viewed by the community at large.
Currently, the CDC advises routine testing only for pregnant women, high-risk groups – such as gay men and intravenous drug users – and those living in high HIV-infection areas.
But under the new guidelines, CDC would urge testing for all teenagers and adults.
Public health experts say routine testing is needed because, of the estimated 1 million Americans infected with HIV, about 25 percent don’t know they are infected.
AIDS, which is thought to develop from HIV infection, is now a leading cause of death for African Americans between the ages of 18 and 34.
from Black Entertainment Television