CDC: 250,000 Americans Don't Know They're HIV-Positive

McClatchy:

Some 250,000 Americans are HIV positive but unaware of it, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Thursday, and most of them are not in high-risk groups.

"In the past, people associated HIV with drug use and men who have sex with men," said Bernard Branson, associate director for Laboratory Diagnostics in CDC's division of HIV/AIDS prevention. "But the epidemic is changing, and there is an increased proportion of cases that have been reported in heterosexual transmissions and among women," he said.

Read the whole story: McClatchy

Comments

[toomy]

oONE QUESTION..­..........­.IF THEY DONT KNOW THEY HAVE AIDS THEN HOW DOES CDC KNOW THEY HAVE IT?????????DUH

[ramal]

If the CDC is willing to admit 250,000 you can bet that the actual number is greater than 500,000. There should be mandatory testing of all the population between the ages of 16 and 65. This could be done for those using the healthcare system at yearly physicals and upon admission to hospital. For those who do not have access to such there can be mobile clinics and testing sites. This action along with safe-sex education is the only way we will see a decrease in these numbers.

[blueskybigstar]

What needs to be done is a carrot incentive program that will pay people 200 dollars each to get a test and receive counseling on how not to get and how not to spread the disease.

[CoulterIsASuccubus]

Most of this 250K are poor and young. Instead of educating our youth about HIV, venereal warts, hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, etc. , we have sold them the myth of abstinence paid for by the taxpayer.

[hydenorhare]

On of the classic moments in the Dem primary was Biden announcing in one of the debates that Bama had gotten tested for HIV.

[Guynemer]

There must be someone we can blame.

[watchingthings]

Yes.....due to the almost nonexistent health coverage for the average unemployed "Joe" What are chances that he may harbor something he will share with a lady-friend later.....both him and the lady friend meet others to share their love. .... and on it goes. If he had health care...he would have given a blood sample and the doctor would have told him if he had Diabetes or high blood pressure or found out that he was wanted by the law.

[watchingthings]

maybe more......likely more.....that has nothing to do with the fact that so many Americans are denied basic health. If they enlist...they will go to the front lines and may not even need treatment...others will get treatment.

[raker]

Two hundred fifty thousand people don't know they're infected with HIV. No wonder Sullivan thinks "AIDS is over." That's kind of the same as not knowing, right?

[watchingthings]

I don't think that Sullivan thinks the epidemic is over, at this point it matters not what America wants....or cares.....it is if the people most affected by this scourge believe that someone out there truly wants to help.

[robXdion]

And they don't care. They just want to stay ignorant and keep passing it around because the stigma hits hard.