San Francisco Modifies HIV-Testing Policies
San Francisco on Tuesday stopped requiring written consent and patient counseling before administering HIV tests, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The change makes San Francisco the first city in the U.S. to implement a proposal CDC made in March to eliminate mandated written consent and counseling for HIV testing (Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, 5/18).
The policy change is intended to increase the number of U.S. residents being tested for HIV (Elias, AP/San Francisco Examiner, 5/17).
Jeffrey Klausner, director of STD Prevention and Control for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said that counseling prior to testing still will be available upon request. Klausner said DPH in summer 2005 began modifying its pretesting counseling program by eliminating funding for counselors at public clinics and hospitals (San Francisco Chronicle, 5/18).