San Francisco Program Offers Incentives to Encourage Individuals to Undergo Tests for HIV, STDs

San Francisco has launched a program to help convince residents -- particularly gay men -- to undergo regular tests for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, the Washington Post reports. Through the program, residents who undergo free screenings will receive discounts and "special offers" at area businesses. San Francisco health officials say that too many city residents at risk of contracting the virus "have become too sanguine about it," engaging in risky sexual behavior and relying on the effectiveness of treatments. "I don't know how effective this will be. But we've got to get people's attention or things could get terrible again," Larry Hanbrook, a city health worker and leader of a gay community group in San Francisco, said (Sanchez, Washington Post, 5/12).