Preventive Services Task Force Urges HIV Screening For Adults
The recommendation of this government-backed panel is consistent with a long-standing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policy.
Reuters: Task Force Calls For Routine HIV Testing For All Adults
An influential U.S. panel is calling for HIV screening for all Americans aged 15 to 65, regardless of whether they are considered to be at high risk, a change that may help lift some of the stigma associated with HIV testing. The new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a government-backed panel of doctors and scientists, now align with longstanding recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing of all adults aged 15 to 65, regardless of their risk (Steenhuysen, 4/29).
Meanwhile, in Georgia -
Georgia Health News: State To Skip Federal Funds Over Sex Questions
For at least a decade, Georgia has steadfastly refused to include questions about sexual behavior in a CDC-sponsored survey of high school students. Now that decision apparently will cost the state a shot at federal money for HIV/STD prevention. In an April 4 letter from a Department of Education official to the CDC, the state said it would not apply for a round of federal funding for HIV/STD education because "it will not be able to comply with the new requirements." Those new rules from the CDC require a state to include sex questions in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in order to qualify for the extra funds (Miller, 4/29).