Why we need more HIV testing
Marin Independent Journal
Jared Huffman
June 26, 2007

TODAY IS NATIONAL HIV Testing Day and there is no better time to bring attention to the effect that HIV/AIDS is having on our cities and counties.

For more than a quarter of a century, California has been the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Among the many lessons learned is that education and awareness are the two most critical weapons in the fight against this disease.

There are 40,000 Californians who have HIV and do not know they are infected. They do not know because they have never been tested. Recent studies indicate half of those individuals living with HIV are not receiving regular care and treatment. HIV/AIDS treatments have made the disease much more manageable.

There is one place where education, prevention and effective treatment all intersect, and that is by getting an HIV test. That is why National HIV Testing Day is vitally important. Not enough people are aware of their HIV status; an HIV test can save your life, or the life of someone you love.

The numbers show we need to take HIV infection much more seriously. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who do not know they are infected are the cause of 50 percent to 70 percent of new HIV infections in the United States. Each year, 40,000 new cases of HIV infection are diagnosed. The CDC estimates that there are more than 1.2 million HIV-infected Americans and 24 percent to 27 percent of them do not know they are HIV-positive. Tragically, new infections are rapidly growing among young people, women and minority populations.

Our best chance to stem the tide of new HIV infections is through increased, routine testing. The CDC has recommended HIV screening be included as part of routine medical care. The CDC advocates that patients should be offered voluntary screening for HIV the same way they are screened for other diseases such as diabetes or cancer.

I am a joint author of Assembly Bill 682, the Routine Testing Bill because this legislation will streamline the HIV screening process so that more Californians who are unaware they are HIV-positive will be tested. If diagnosed early, HIV can be a manageable condition for most patients. By identifying those who are unaware of their infection, individuals with HIV can be effectively linked to innovative therapies and treatment.

The bill removes screening barriers while maintaining the voluntary nature of HIV screening recommended by the CDC. California law requires patients to give written informed consent for an HIV test. For too long, we have treated HIV differently than other diseases. The San Francisco Department of Public Health recently reported that screening increased by one third after the department stopped requiring a signed form prior to the administration of a test. At the rate that infections are spreading, our efforts should be directed toward simplified procedures that encourage early detection and linking patients to appropriate care.

I'm proud that my Assembly colleagues unanimously passed AB 682. The bill creates an important balance between protecting patient rights and removing barriers limiting the effectiveness of HIV screening.

I urge the Senate and governor to help make this bill law. This is a crucial first step to updating California law in compliance with CDC recommendations and will assist in cutting the number of new infections and helping those infected with the disease know their status and to begin receiving life-saving treatment.

So today, on National HIV Testing Day, get tested. If you have HIV, get treatment. Our public health system in California must implement better, more effective policies on HIV screening and each of us can do our part by committing to know our HIV status on this important day.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, represents Marin and Southern Sonoma counties.