An estimated
233,000 Americans are unaware that they are infected with
HIV, an HIV research cooperative announced Thursday. Despite
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's call
to routinely test everyone between the ages of 13 and
64, more than 20% of the approximately 1.1
million Americans with the virus are unaware they have it.
Members of the
Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, based at the George
Washington University School of Public Health, made the
announcement at a forum meeting in Arlington, Va.
The lack of
routine testing presents a major health hazard: People who
are unaware that they are HIV-positive may be responsible
for up to 70% of new sexually transmitted infections,
the Baltimore Sun reports.
Experts said that
routine testing is hampered by stigma associated with
the virus as well as inadequate health insurance
coverage for such tests. Out-of-pocket costs for
the blood and saliva tests that screen
for HIV can run between $80 and $120. According to The Washington Post, only 5% of those who present
with serious symptoms of the disease in hospital
emergency rooms are being tested for HIV. (Michelle Garcia,
The Advocate)
