Increasing access to HIV testing

Increasing access to HIV testing

In the United States, many HIV-infected individuals do not get tested until late in their infections. As a result, they are already very sick when they first learn that they have HIV. For example, of the 104,780 people who tested positive for HIV between 1994 and 1999, 41% developed AIDS within 1 year (CDC, 2003a). Additionally, people who are tested do not necessarily return to learn their test results. For example, in 2000, of an estimated 2 million CDC-funded HIV tests, approximately 18,000 tests represented new HIV diagnoses. During 2000, of persons with positive tests for HIV, 31% did not return for their test results (CDC, 2003a).

An emphasis on expanding access to testing and on providing prevention and care services for people infected with HIV can reduce new infections and lead to reductions in HIV-associated morbidity and mortality (CDC, 2003a). Strategies to increase access to HIV testing include making HIV testing a routine part of medical care and implementing new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside of medical settings (CDC, 2003b).