Millions in US face HIV screening

ALL Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 should be routinely tested for HIV to help catch infections earlier and stop the spread of the deadly virus, federal health officials recommended yesterday.

Nearly half of new American HIV infections are discovered when doctors are trying to diagnose a sick patient who has come for care, officials at the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

"We know that many HIV infected people seek health care and they don't get tested. And many people are not diagnosed until late in the course of their illness, when they're already sick with HIV-related conditions," said Dr Timothy Mastro, acting director of the CDC's division for HIV/AIDS prevention.

"By identifying people earlier through screening, we'll allow them to access life-extending therapy, and also through prevention services, learn how to avoid transmitting HIV infection to others."

The announcement was hailed by some HIV patient advocates and health policy experts. They said the guidelines could help end the stigma of HIV testing and lead to needed care for an estimated 250,000 Americans who do not yet know they have the disease.

"I think it's an incredible advance. I think it's courageous on the part of the CDC," said David Paltiel, a health policy expert at the Yale University School of Medicine.

The recommendations are not legally binding, but they influence what American doctors do and what health insurance programmes cover.