Opinion Columns Urge HIV Testing

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"To have the greatest impact on HIV infection, let persons who are frequently exposed to HIV have an easy way to protect others, by finding out quickly that they are infected," from rapid self-administered HIV tests, Mary Jane Rotheram, Arleen Leibowitz and Kevin Farrell - researchers at the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatments Services at UCLA - write in a Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion piece. "To date, the FDA has required a third party to administer and/or interpret the HIV test results. Perhaps these policies reflect pressure from groups with vested interests in maintaining the status quo: laboratories, community-based HIV testing sites or pharmaceutical agencies," the authors write. They continue, "To make HIV testing more accessible, cheaper and less stigmatized, we endorse wide availability of HIV rapid tests …" for consumers (8/24).

"[W]hen it comes to testing, recent research shows men are lagging behind women," including being tested for sexually transmitted diseases, Jason Fiume of 13WHAM.com writes in a blog. He continues, "Recently on 13 WHAM News at 5, we shared the findings of a new study that found too much 'macho' persona could cut a man's life short" and this "research can also help explain why men are slacking in STD testing." That "'macho' mentality … highlights the need for more regular testing," according to the blog (8/25).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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