Michigan: Save Lives -- Test for HIV

"Many Americans infected with HIV -- perhaps one-third -- don't know it, and the problem is far worse among poor people and minorities, who have less access to health care.

"One step the nation's doctors, hospitals and clinics could take immediately to ease the problem is making HIV testing routine, which would increase information and comfort levels.

"'Stigma continues to be a problem with HIV,' said Eve Mokotoff of the Michigan Department of Community Health in Detroit. 'Routine testing could help reduce that.'

"At least in areas with high infection rates, such as southeast Michigan, medical professionals should ask any sexually active person getting a physical or being treated for routine symptoms whether they want an HIV test. Too many doctors don't. A study by Healthcare Research Center in Lancaster, Pa., suggested U.S. doctors could save hundreds of lives a year by giving HIV tests to patients with fevers and other signs of viral illness.

"But, in order to reach people without health insurance, routine testing must cover more than nonemergency medical visits. Emergency rooms must also provide routine testing because that's where uninsured people most often come in contact with the health care system.

"Since last year, the Michigan Department of Community Health has provided emergency rooms at Henry Ford and Detroit Receiving Hospitals, as well as a Detroit Department of Health clinic, with test kits, training and laboratory support for HIV testing. More than 150 patients have tested positive who otherwise might not have known, said Debra Szwejda, a state HIV/AIDS prevention manager.

"Routine testing programs such as these are models for early detection and treatment that enable people with HIV to have long and productive lives -- and prevent spreading the virus to others."

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