Approximately 20% of the estimated 1.2 million persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United States at the end of 2008 were not aware of their infection. Testing, diagnosis, medical care, treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and access to prevention services soon after HIV infection can prevent morbidity and mortality and reduce a person’s risk for transmitting HIV. In 2006, CDC recommended screening patients aged 13–64 years for HIV infection in health-care settings that have a prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection of ≥0.1%. In October 2007, CDC initiated the Expanded HIV Testing Initiative (ETI), through which it funded 25 health departments to facilitate HIV screening and increase diagnoses of HIV infections and linkage to care among populations disproportionately affected by HIV, especially non-Hispanic blacks. This report describes the results of that effort.
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MMWR: Results of the Expanded HIV Testing Initiative — 25 Jurisdictions, United States, 2007–2010
Tags: antiretroviral, departments, hiv, immunodeficiency, mortality, patients, populations, Prevention, screening, settings