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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Opinion & Commentary
Testing Is a Key Lifesaver
February 7, 2008 "Perhaps it's coincidence that only two weeks separate the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday from National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Coincidence or not, I believe that the effect of HIV/AIDS on the African-American community, especially in Florida, would have been a grave concern to King. ".. One of the surest and quickest ways to deal with the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Florida's black community is through wider HIV testing. Testing has become one of the cornerstones of prevention efforts and a major push of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. "Why be tested? First, for more than 10 years doctors have had effective treatments for people infected with HIV ... . People who know they are infected and who take the new drugs can live for many years with the disease, much like people with heart disease and diabetes take medicine to live near-normal lives. "Second, the sooner the infection is discovered, the more successful the treatments are. ... The time to be tested is before any kind of symptoms appear that might be linked to HIV/AIDS. "Third, testing is a primary means of slowing, and someday stopping, the spread of the disease. ... CDC believes that about one-fourth of the people living in the United States who are infected with HIV don't know it. ... It is believed that these individuals are responsible for one-half to three-quarters of all new HIV infections. "The hope: fewer cases. Studies have shown that people who discover they are infected will try to avoid infecting others. ... It's why the CDC last year began recommending that everyone between 13 and 64 be tested for HIV during routine visits to a doctor or other health care provider. "Learning our HIV status is the single most important step most of us can take to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in the black community. It is a fitting observance of both National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and King's birthday." State Sen. Frederica S. Wilson is the Democratic leader pro tempore. Back to other news for February 2008 Miami Herald 02.07.2008; Frederica S. Wilson This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update. |
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