Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS Prevention Subcommittee
Domestic Subcommittee Resolution #2:
WHEREAS an estimated one-fourth (252,000 – 312,000) of the more than 1 million persons in this country who are living with HIV do not know they are infected and could be spreading HIV to their partners unknowingly; and
WHEREAS routine HIV testing will reduce the stigma associated with an HIV test and make it a normal part of taking care of oneself; and
WHEREAS most people, after finding out they have HIV, adopt behaviors that reduce HIV transmission and routine HIV testing may help protect the partners of persons who are living with HIV but do not know it; and
WHEREAS new sexually transmitted HIV infections could be reduced more than 30% per year if all HIV-infected persons knew of their infection and adopted changes in behavior similar to those of persons already aware of their infection; and
WHEREAS mother to child transmission of HIV infection could be further reduced through the implementation of these new guidelines; and
WHEREAS people living with HIV can receive effective treatment, resulting in improved health and extended life, if their HIV infection is diagnosed earlier; then
BE IT RESOLVED that the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) commends the President, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the development of the new initiative, Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of Health and Human Services work closely with the American Medical Association and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop expeditiously coding that would allow HIV screening to become a covered service for both private and public insurance; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of Health and Human Services and designees work closely with states, jurisdictions and territories to overcome barriers and develop best practices that will facilitate HIV screening in all medical settings; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish annual targets for new HIV diagnoses.
PASSED
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