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Feds Want Routine HIV Testing For Americans
AP ^ | September 21 2006

Posted on 09/21/2006 9:49:28 AM PDT by jmc1969

All Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 should be routinely tested for HIV to help catch infections earlier and stop the spread of the deadly virus, federal health recommendations announced Thursday say.

"We know that many HIV infected people seek health care and they don't get tested. And many people are not diagnosed until late in the course of their illness, when they're already sick with HIV-related conditions," said Dr. Timothy Mastro, acting director of the CDC's division of HIV/AIDS prevention.

"By identifying people earlier through a screening program, we'll allow them to access life-extending therapy, and also through prevention services, learn how to avoid transmitting HIV infection to others," he said.

The announcement was hailed by some HIV patient advocates and health policy experts. They said the guidelines could help end the stigma of HIV testing and lead to needed care for an estimated 250,000 Americans who don't yet know they have the disease.

"I think it's an incredible advance. I think it's courageous on the part of the CDC," said A. David Paltiel, a health policy expert at the Yale University School of Medicine.

(Excerpt) Read more at wnbc.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: behealthypeasant; forthefatherland; govwatch; nannystatecrap
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To: kemathen7
.000845. Barely a measureable number. Not worth the taxpayer dollars at all.

My reaction as well. I think that the estimated 250,000 may think about getting a test, but haven't. I had blood transfusion or two back in the early '80s. I went about 10 years ago to a local clinic in Chicago and got tested for a very low fee. I figured it was an incredible long-shot, but that a simple test would allow me to not have to worry about it.

Results came back fine in a couple of days, so no worries since.

41 posted on 09/21/2006 11:45:52 AM PDT by technochick99 ( Firearm of choice: Sig Sauer....)
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To: Abathar
"I'm all for it as long as they discreetly tattoo the ones who test positive in a place that is easily concealable but their partners and health care workers would find them."

The only problem with tattoos is that most of those subject to contracting AIDS don't have eyes in the back of their heads....too many times they are infected with the disease and never see it, uh, coming.

42 posted on 09/21/2006 11:48:12 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: jmc1969
Hey sure, let's 'test' for everything: Sheesh, just what we need, a nice data bank of peoples health which nobody will ever ever ever have to fear of the info falling into the wrong hands and being used against you.

And after your 'tests' you get a nice tattoo on your arm of your ID number.

43 posted on 09/21/2006 11:50:06 AM PDT by Condor51 ("Alot" is NOT a word and doesn't mean "many". It is 'a lot', two separate words.)
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To: Bryan24
For those who are virgins...

I guess you would then advocate 100% virginity testing? ;-)

44 posted on 09/21/2006 11:51:02 AM PDT by krb (If you're not outraged, people probably like having you around.)
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To: Ganymede
Sure, most of the population may not, but I believe the largest growing population of HIV infections is among heterosexual black women. I have known at least one to die as a result of her husband passing it along.

Where did her husband get it? Gay sex or intravenous drug use or adultery with a intravenous drug user? It isn't an airborne infection. Her husband had to perform a high risk act to acquire it. It is exceptionally unlikely for a monogamous, faithful heterosexual couple who avoid IV drugs to contract HIV.

45 posted on 09/21/2006 11:57:42 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Joe 6-pack
Geez, I never "looked" at it that way before, I guess your right. Maybe the top of his foot then?
46 posted on 09/21/2006 11:58:38 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading the article since 2004)
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To: krb

Luckily, that kit doesn't have to be sold in stores.(g)


47 posted on 09/21/2006 12:02:04 PM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right....)
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To: Bryan24
For those who advocate 100% testing for AIDS/HIV, examine their brains to see if they are still present and functioning.

In most politicians, they aren't.

48 posted on 09/21/2006 12:03:22 PM PDT by darkangel82 (Higher visibility leads to greater zottability.)
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To: nmh
There is NO CURE for aids.

No, but there's a foolproof vaccine...a drug free life and a monogamous marriage.

FWIW, I don't agree with "routine" AIDS tests for people (primarily because it's a waste of money for 99.9% of the population), but I DO believe that blood testing should be brought back for marriage licenses, and that an AIDS test should be a part of it. I was blessed to know a straight Christian woman who became infected by HIV after getting married to her husband. They never discussed how he got the disease, but he apparently had it before they were married (undiagnosed). He committed suicide shortly after learning the truth (he became extremely depressed when he realized that he'd essentially killed his wife), but she hung on for about 10 years before finally passing away a few years back.

That sort of thing just shouldn't happen.
49 posted on 09/21/2006 12:09:16 PM PDT by Arthalion
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To: Myrddin

Who cares? She was an innocent victim. Not everyone who has bad stuff happen to them "had it coming" as a result of their own "reckless" behavior. A lot of conservatives can't grasp that idea, which frankly turns me off.


50 posted on 09/21/2006 12:38:32 PM PDT by Ganymede
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To: Arthalion

Ummm... you said in one breath that there was a "foolproof vaccine...a drug free life and a monogamous marriage" and in another told a story about a "straight Christian woman" who acquired HIV from her husband and died. So, clearly being monogamous and drug-free aren't "foolproof" either.

"That sort of thing just shouldn't happen."

Only in a "just world." But real life isn't just. It just is.


51 posted on 09/21/2006 12:45:12 PM PDT by Ganymede
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To: Ganymede
Hemophiliac blood product users are innocent victims as well. They get nailed without any association at all with amoral individuals.

I agree that she was an innocent victim. The party that deserves the criticism is her husband. He engaged in reckless behavior and did care a whit about infecting his wife.

As you correctly observed, who cares. She's dead. He will die from it eventually as well. It's a shame that she took the hit for his behavior.

52 posted on 09/21/2006 12:52:06 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Arthalion

"No, but there's a foolproof vaccine...a drug free life and a monogamous marriage."

With YOU all the way!

"FWIW, I don't agree with "routine" AIDS tests for people (primarily because it's a waste of money for 99.9% of the population), but I DO believe that blood testing should be brought back for marriage licenses, and that an AIDS test should be a part of it. I was blessed to know a straight Christian woman who became infected by HIV after getting married to her husband. They never discussed how he got the disease, but he apparently had it before they were married (undiagnosed). He committed suicide shortly after learning the truth (he became extremely depressed when he realized that he'd essentially killed his wife), but she hung on for about 10 years before finally passing away a few years back."

They DO test for AIDS in New Jersey for a marriage license as well as another STD ... think it's gonorrhea.

"That sort of thing just shouldn't happen."

That is a tragic story. Christians know that all wrongs will be righted ... when we're up there ... .


53 posted on 09/21/2006 1:05:30 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God) .)
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To: jmc1969

What an absolute waste of health care dollars.


54 posted on 09/21/2006 1:16:18 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: PissAndVinegar

The whole goal is to act as if there is an equal risk of catching it when in fact your chances of winning the lottery are higher if you don't engage in risky behavior.

They are trying to avoid the stigma of testing high risk groups..


55 posted on 09/21/2006 1:18:22 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: kemathen7

Assume $100 per test for 50 years.. $5000 in a life time x 270 million people Works out to be about 1.3trillion in wasted , useless testing.


56 posted on 09/21/2006 1:23:49 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: Billthedrill

It makes about as much sense as testing all women for prostate cancer.


57 posted on 09/21/2006 1:25:27 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: Ganymede

Heterosexual black women that have sex with ex-cons is the largest growing group.


58 posted on 09/21/2006 1:48:57 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: Abathar

Wouldn't branding cauterise the mark without exposing another person (the tattoo artist) to needles and bodily fluids?


59 posted on 09/21/2006 4:15:27 PM PDT by Titan Magroyne (Suicide Bomb Instructor: "Now pay attention, I'm only gonna do this once...")
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To: DTwistedSisterS

All of this is useless unless they were willing to quarantine the infected persons. We know that is never gonna happen. They will not punish the people who willingly and knowingly spread this disease, so it would be nothing but a waste of more taxpayer money as much as all the other AIDS awareness programs.

I can remember in high school, in the 80's, hearing about all the projections of how many people would be infected by the year 2000. However it still overwhelmingly effects the homosexual community more than any other. It's high-risk behavior and not ignorance that has caused it to spread.

Now some folks in the federal government want to govern those of us who already self-govern so as not to single out the ones who are responsible for all this mess.


60 posted on 09/21/2006 4:37:14 PM PDT by kuma
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