Schwarzenegger Signs Crucial California HIV Testing Bill Targeting Repeat Testers (AB 2899, Portantino, D-Pasadena)

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 29 Sep 2008 - 9:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California, today praised Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for signing Assembly Bill 2899, (Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena), a bill which will provide some latitude for California HIV testing centers in the provision of related education and counseling services. The legislation allows testing sites to:

- Advise repeat testers who are following risk reduction protocols that they do not need to be re-educated in prevention methods;
- Determine that a test subject can self-administer the state's data collection form; and
- Provide education services through a variety of methodologies such as to couples, small groups and via video.

"We commend Governor Schwarzenegger for signing AB 2899. In signing this bill, the Governor recognized the importance of this legislation as a practical public health measure intended to streamline the HIV counseling and education services that are provided to those individuals who have previously been tested for HIV and received counseling and preventive education," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Individuals from certain high risk populations such sex workers, gay and bisexual men among others may seek out HIV testing as often as two or three times a year. AB 2899 now allows testing centers to streamline and improve the testing process by eliminating the need for a comprehensive, but oftentimes repetitive preventive education and counseling. We thank Assembly Member Portantino for authoring and carrying the bill, which by improving the efficiency of the testing process, should go a long way in helping such programs to identify more of those individuals who are unaware of their HIV-positive status and link them into care and treatment."

"Dramatic changes in the HIV epidemic and individuals' awareness of HIV and its transmission has changed the need for how we provide some services at HIV testing sites," said Whitney Engeran III, Director of Public Health Division for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, co-sponsor of the bill. "Many people seeking a test today have far greater knowledge about HIV than at any time in the epidemic's 27 year history. At AHF, we have found an increasing number of test subjects are repeat testers who are tested on a regular basis. The current education model employed the same tactics regardless of whether the repeat test subject actually was in need of more HIV education. Now, with the Governor's signing of AB 2899, individuals who are following public health guidelines by using risk reduction techniques and who are being regularly tested will not need to be repeatedly re-educated."

AHF, which operates the state's largest community-based testing program, has concluded that these new provisions can shave up to 20 minutes off the 40-60 minute standard testing and counseling process. As a result, AHF conservatively estimates that at no additional cost to the state, it can increase testing by 25% above the 15,000 tests it administers each year.

Under current law, counties and community-based organizations contract with the state Office of AIDS to provide HIV testing services. The state budgets a certain amount every year for these services (FY 07-08 was $10.4 million) and when those funds are exhausted, there is no other state money to continue the crucial testing services. The state must increase the dollars appropriated for this purpose-an unlikely scenario today given the state budget shortfall-or California must employ more cost-efficient ways to provide these services. AB 2899 will help California realize more achieve more cost-efficiency in its HIV testing programs.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 80,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation