HIV testing rates rise among Americans

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDNov 30 2010

A U.S. government report released Tuesday says that a record number of Americans are getting tested for HIV but more than 200,000 Americans are infected and are unaware of their status. In 2009 82.9 million adults age 18 to 64 had been tested for HIV. This is 11.4 million more than the total in 2006. Also until 2009 45 percent of adults had been tested at least once in their lives, up from 40 percent four years ago. However 55 percent of adults, and 28.3 percent of adults at risk for HIV, have never been tested, according to the report.

Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Thomas R. Frieden said, “The numbers show that progress is possible; they also show how much more progress is needed.” CDC says 1.1 million U.S. adults are living with HIV and one in five is unaware of it. This important since most cases of sexually transmitted HIV in the United States are spread by people who are unaware of it. The CDC also found that when people know that they are infected they people usually take steps to protect their partners.

The CDC for the survey covered 37 states.

32 percent of those diagnosed with HIV in 2007 progressed to AIDS within a year says the report. This means that these patients were diagnosed late. This also means treatment was missed in these cases says the report. With early diagnosis, HIV is treated like a chronic disease.

In 2006, the CDC recommended that HIV-testing become a regular part of medical care for adults and adolescents and that those at high risk for the AIDS-causing virus get tested at least once a year. Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Program urged that HIV testing should be a routine part of health care. He said, “It is important that state policies support routine HIV testing [and reduce] the barriers of lengthy counseling and lengthy informed consent.” Testing should be more available he said.

Dr. Michael Kolber, professor and director of the comprehensive AIDS program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine said on the report that “frequent testing is important.” Those at risk like blacks, Hispanics, men who have sex with men and injection drug users need yearly testing he said. But increasing testing rates is not easy, Kolber added. “Because of the confidentiality associated with HIV, it’s not considered the same as any sexually transmitted disease,” he said.