Oral

An important aspect of current prevention programs is HIV testing. However, the time needed for HIV testing and counseling may be burdensome. As a result, in 2006, the CDC revised their HIV testing guidelines by proving an ‘opt-out' HIV screening of all patients in health-care settings. In this session, participants will learn about how different states are responding to this revision, the challenges encountered, and the lessons learned. In the first presentation, barriers to implementing this revised policy will be discussed. The focus of the second presentation will be how to provide and sustain HIV testing in the hospital setting. In the third presentation, the presenter will highlight the issues that resulted from this revision in California and make recommendations for other states.

Session Objectives: 1. Discuss the political implications of the revised HIV testing guidelines set forth by the CDC. 2. Articulate the barriers to implementing the new HIV testing laws locally and nationally. 3. Politics surrounding home HIV testing in the US.