Hey Americans .. Ready For Your Mandatory HIV Testing?

[Issachar]

From April 29 ..

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An influential U.S. panel is calling for HIV screening for all Americans aged 15 to 65, regardless of whether they are considered to be at high risk, a change that may help lift some of the stigma associated with HIV testing.

The new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a government-backed panel of doctors and scientists, now align with longstanding recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing of all adults aged 15 to 65, regardless of their risk.

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Can there be false positives with this testing? Sure ... Like, over 80% !!

... what if healthy people take expensive, toxic drugs for a condition they cannot transmit because they don't have it?

In the spring 2010 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Henry H. Bauer , Ph.D., writes that "HIV tests are not HIV tests." A positive test does not mean that a person has or will get AIDS. It doesn't even mean that he has HIV. Rather, it is a test for antibodies, either to HIV or to something that cross-reacts with it.

. . . .

But even with an excellent test, a positive is more likely than not to be a false positive."

If only one in 1,000 tested individuals has HIV, then only one out of every six positive tests is a true positive, even if the HIV test is as good as is claimed.

This is why a test that is a very good for screening blood donors can do much more harm than good if used to screen the entire population, Dr. Orient stated.

(emphasis mine) source

So what happens if one does NOT have HIV, but is treated for it?

An interesting further reading.

Issachar

[Glorify Him]

Re: Hey Americans .. Ready For Your Mandatory HIV Testing?

As an RN who has been on the learning curve about Aids and HIV from the beginning, I must say that the source you cited is not a medical group that I have ever heard of. I just don't see this as some sort of a conspiracy.

When I remarried, I requested that my to be husband who had had open heart surgery be tested, and I, as a nurse who practiced in Miami, at the time, the highest HIV rate in the country next to San Fran, had my doctor test me. I was only concerned about exposure in the work place because from the time we learned about HIV, the standards for protection changed dramatically. Obvious reasons for his test. I just don't have a problem here with this. I remember back when before you could get married you had to be tested for other STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea. Not now though. Let's just let the whole world run around and act like fools without any inhibitions and pass diseases on and on and on.

[Guest]

Re: Hey Americans .. Ready For Your Mandatory HIV Testing?

A change that may lift the stigma? If this were not quoted then I could buy the health aspects of this. But alas I believe it is another way to neutralize the main source of HIV. That is promiscuous sex in all walks of life. Odds of getting it by blood transfusion is not likely with all the testing to make sure the blood supply is pure. Well it is to be seen.

[Issachar]

Re: Hey Americans .. Ready For Your Mandatory HIV Testing?

Hi GH .. thanks for the input.

There are thousands of "medical groups" so it's likely that no one person has heard of them all.

On the matter of required testing .. it makes perfect sense. I don't know where I said it in a post within the last few days, but most of the control that governments seek to have over those governed, comes from "it makes sense." Given the number of people killed every year in the U.S. due to drunk drivers, it makes sense that all vehicles be required to be equipped with a sort of breathalizer apparatus in order for the thing to start. Given we live in a world full of crazies with easy access to guns and explosives, it makes sense to try and eliminate guns and explosives .. at least, access to them by the general public. Given the high rate of child abuse, it makes sense for child protective services to have the power they do have and on and on and on and ...

The problem, I think, is that as government/agencies increase in number and size .. as government gets bigger, it takes more and more resources to feed it .. which makes it bigger which makes it require more ad naseum .. People want to feel safe. They want to feel secure. They want to feel their life style won't change much. A society either has freedom and the sort of security that comes from that (i.e. people can deal with issues themselves) or it can have imposed security which comes at the price of losing freedoms, which also limits the level of security.

On this hiv testing thing .. I don't believe it should be mandatory (BTW, I'm not a libertarian, certainly not a Republican and in no way, a democrat .. I'm "none of the above."). Two people want to get married .. presumably a man and a woman .. they KNOW, especially these days with such wide spread promiscuity, that one or the other or both, could be carrying, or have, any number of sexually transmitted disease(s). They should, between themselves, as did you, choose whether or not they want to have a test done. Government does not have to add another growth spurt to it's already obesity problem. If a couple chooses to not be tested, so be it. They're adults; let them decide.

Just my 40 cents worth (.02 adjusted for inflation),
Issachar

[Issachar]

Re: Hey Americans .. Ready For Your Mandatory HIV Testing?

A change that may lift the stigma? If this were not quoted then I could buy the health aspects of this. But alas I believe it is another way to neutralize the main source of HIV. That is promiscuous sex in all walks of life.

That nails it too Jackie. The whole "world" seems to be going more and more, faster and faster, towards making sure no one is offended. Everything is watered down. Many schools are no longer giving A, B, C, D, F grades. EVERYONE at just about any event, gets an "award." Recently I posted where schools in Maryland were not allowing a child to invite his or her classmates to a birthday party "in case anyone gets left out." They can't bring in a cake or cookies to class for their birthday either. They could only bring one for themselves and it MUST BE STORE BOUGHT so it has the required list of ingredients and must be approved before going into class. No one and nothing is allowed to be "offended." Well .. except for that Christian element of society .. that part doesn't matter.

My youngest daughter currently is working at a grocery store. I guess they have to press a button on the "cash register" (remember those? ) for cash, credit or food stamps before ringing up. Another cashier, and "older lady" (50's ) asked a customer that. The customer was very offended and reported the cashier. You are NOT allowed to say "food stamps" as that has a stigma attached to it. You MUST say EBT card ... or whatever each state has.

Issachar

Issachar