The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday began "offering routine HIV tests to veterans who receive medical care," the Associated Press/Washington Post reports. The new policy follows CDC's recommendations for voluntary, routine HIV testing and no longer requires veterans to sign a consent form, the article states, adding that "veterans must verbally consent to the test. They can also decline it." According to the news service, "The CDC says all patients should be offered HIV testing even if they are not considered at risk. The hope is that by dropping the written consent, more veterans will get tested and get medical treatment earlier" (Hefling, 8/17).
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