New CDC anti-AIDS initiative aims to boost HIV testing

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>>A new initiative to boost HIV testing rates aims to get more people into treatment earlier, especially in hard-hit communities of black gay and bisexual men, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.

Elements of the initiative include:

•Funding for state and local health departments, starting in January, 2012, with 75% to be used for testing, prevention, policy implementation and development and condom distribution, and 25% to be used for other activities proven to be effective. The funding for this effort is expected to be $359 million annually for five years.

•A $2.4 million education and advertising campaign, Testing Makes Us Stronger, that is aimed directly at increasing HIV testing in black gay and bisexual communities.
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"We need to be doing a better job to assure every dollar we are putting into HIV is used to maximum impact," Fenton says. "That includes scaling up HIV testing and working with people living with HIV to support them with treatment and preventive services, promoting education and awareness. We have powerful tools at our disposal. Now is the time to look at ways to target those tools."<<

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011-11-29/New-CDC-anti-AIDS-initiative-aims-to-boost-HIV-testing/51468782/1

Sounds like a nice idea, but without universal, single-payer health care or funding to provide medications to HIV+ people who do not have health insurance (or whose health insurance does not cover HIV medicines), this campaign to widen testing is going to fail completely, and is just simply throwing taxpayer money away.

Because for those who do not have health insurance, there is little incentive to find out if you are HIV+.

[Ian David]

1. And just so people know, getting tested for HIV does not cause Autism. n/t

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4. But it does put hair on your chest.

Or so I read on the internets. :evilgrin:

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[William769]

3. Recommended.

[William769]

5. Hey why didn't they bust you?

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6. Probably because I'm admittedly a bit blunt when I get pissed off.

I do sometimes have a short temper, and it can come out. Not healthy, but maybe in some respects, it serves me well...? Who knows.