California Chronicle

Newswire Services

September 25, 2007

Awaits Implementation of AB 682.

Sacramento, California – Today, Test for Life California hosted a teleconference call that marked the one-year anniversary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that HIV testing be included as part of routine medical care. Additionally, the call addressed the anticipation of the implementation of AB 682, California’s routine testing bill.

“AB 682 makes California a leader in adopting recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control for routine HIV screening,” said Assemblymember Patty Berg. “Routine HIV screening will save lives, just as routine breast cancer screenings, or cholesterol screenings. And by making it more common in the overall population, we send the message that while some groups may be more at risk than others, controlling HIV is in everyone's interest.”

Routine screening is intended to lead to earlier diagnosis of HIV-infected individuals and help patients to access proper care and treatment earlier in the course of the disease, when it has a better chance of being effective.

“Test for Life is committed to supporting the CDC recommendations on HIV screening.” said Dr. Gary Puckrein, President and CEO of the National Minority Quality Forum. “Early HIV detection is crucial in treating HIV/AIDS patients effectively and prolonging their quality of life.”

CDC issued revised recommendations for HIV screening in the United States in September 2006. The recommendations include voluntary opt-out HIV screening as a routine part of medical care for all patients aged 13 to 64 with the goal of increasing early HIV diagnosis among the estimated one quarter HIV-positive Americans who are unaware of their HIV status. Increasing the number of people who know their HIV status is critical both in providing earlier treatment to HIV infected patients and preventing the further spread of HIV.

The State Legislature’s bipartisan passage of the landmark AB 682 demonstrates a positive move towards addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in California. AB 682 streamlines the HIV testing process by requiring simple consent, rather than informed consent, allowing medical providers to more easily identify Californians who are unaware of their HIV- positive status and move them into care and treatment. AB 682 was co-sponsored by Test for Life coalition members Assemblymembers Patty Berg, Bonnie Garcia, Jared Huffman, Jim Beall and John Laird, as well as AIDS Healthcare Foundation, California Medical Association and the Health Officers Association of California. AB 682 currently awaits signature from Governor Schwarzenegger.

Test for Life began in 2006 as an educational campaign project of the National Minority Quality Forum, designed to raise awareness of the importance of routine HIV screening in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and examining the Center for Disease Control and Preventions Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing. To join the Test for Life coalition, please visit our website: www.testforlife.org

To view the CDC Guidelines visit: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5514a1.htm