CDC HIV testing recommendations - Sept 2006

My HOD cc'd me on an e-mail where he said and quoted:

Another very relevant document has come out today:

Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings

It contains the following summary:

Major revisions from previously published guidelines are as follows:

For patients in all health-care settings

• HIV screening is recommended for patients in all health-care settings after the patient is notified that testing will be performed unless the patient declines (opt-out screening).
• Persons at high risk for HIV infection should be screened for HIV at least annually.
• Separate written consent for HIV testing should not be required; general consent for medical care should be considered sufficient to encompass consent for HIV testing.
• Prevention counseling should not be required with HIV diagnostic testing or as part of HIV screening programs in health-care settings.

For pregnant women

• HIV screening should be included in the routine panel of prenatal screening tests for all pregnant women.
• HIV screening is recommended after the patient is notified that testing will be performed unless the patient declines (opt-out screening).
• Separate written consent for HIV testing should not be required; general consent for medical care should be considered sufficient to encompass consent for HIV testing.
• Repeat screening in the third trimester is recommended in certain jurisdictions with elevated rates of HIV infection among pregnant women.

Interesting how attitudes are shifting in the USA.

Other recent posts on my blog re opt-out testing:
Opt-out HIV testing
Normalising HIV Diagnosis and Treatment

I believe things will change for South Africa soon.