Private MD News

CDC considers mandatory STD testing

Category: HIV

Despite countless initiatives and months dedicated to promoting awareness of AIDS and STDs, there are still a great number of people in the U.S. who are infected every day.

This is probably best evidenced in a report that came out earlier this year that found nearly 3 percent of the population in Washington DC was infected with HIV, which came as a shock to some. Recently, it was reported that STD testing was going to be offered in all of DC's high schools as a way to combat the epidemic and stop the spread of AIDS.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has another idea.

The government agency is recommending that hospital staff "systematically" administer an STD test to every patient who enters an emergency room, CBS News reports.

Dr Yvette Calderon, from the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, told the news provider that the recommendation could help people who may not know they are infected.

"We are finding positive patients who are unaware of their disease status," Calderon said. "That's huge."

Though there is no cure for the condition, there are a number of treatments available for people living with STDs. However, it is best to know early, which suggests people should get frequent HIV tests as a precaution.