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IOM urges free HIV testing for women

Category: HIV

In order to improve the sexual health of women, the Institute of Medicine is recommending that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services increase the availability of many health services, including HIV testing.

The group said that HIV testing should be made free on a regular basis for all sexually active women. Additionally, the recommendations state that contraception should be freely available. These things could greatly cut down on the health risks that women face.

The pointers were issued as part of a broader women's health program put out by the IOM. The guidelines also say that women should be given greater access to testing for gestational diabetes, breastfeeding support, HPV testing, STD counseling, domestic violence prevention and at least one wellness checkup per year.

"This report provides a road map for improving the health and well-being of women," Dr. Linda Rosenstock, dean of the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health and chair of the committee that wrote the report, told Modern Healthcare. "The eight services we identified are necessary to support women's optimal health and well-being."