Screening for AIDS
The purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are usually administered to people without current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or conditions.
Screening Guidelines
People who are being evaluated or treated for a
sexually transmitted disease
(STD), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that they get screened for
HIV
, even if they do not have other risk factors for the virus.
The CDC also recommends that all patients in healthcare settings should be tested for HIV and be given the option of declining testing if they do not want it. All pregnant women should be screened for the virus, as well.
Additionally, people who work in healthcare settings and correctional facilities should be screened. Men who have sex with other men should also be tested annually for HIV and other STDs.
If you have risk factors for contracting HIV, such as using IV drugs or having multiple sex partners, talk to your doctor about screening.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2010.
MMWR.
2010;59(No. RR-12):1-110.
Conn HF, Rakel RE.
Conn's Current Therapy 2001
. 53rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company; 2001.
DynaMed Editorial Team. HIV infection. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php
. Updated February 24, 2011. Accessed March 1, 2011.
HIV/AIDS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
. Updated September 2008. Accessed September 25, 2008.
HIV/AIDS. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website. Available at:
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
. Accessed September 25, 2008.
Noble J, Greene HL.
Textbook of Primary Care Medicine
. 3rd ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc; 2000.