Youth peer educators on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention in Illinois. "We can be the generation to stamp out AIDS".
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Routine HIV testing as a part of annual physical for teenagers
Are you aware that starting at age 13 when you go in for an annual physical, your doctor should offer you HIV testing as part of the routine exam? It appears that not many doctors know about this requirement. How do you feel about this and should doctors be required to implement it?
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I certainly was unaware of it, and I can't recall ever having taken one or being offered one. I'm also sure that with parents present, as many are for their children's check ups, the doctor may have felt uncomfortable bringing it up in case it would offend the parents.
ReplyDeleteGood point - I agree with you. So how do we get around that? Teens certainly don't want to give their parents the idea that they are permiscuous by consenting to a test, but there has got to be a way round it. Almost 50% of teens with the virus but are unaware of it is alarming.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good practice. I know how controversial this practice could be if it were to be implemented right now, but with time, people would see it as routine and necessary---just as they do with all of the other examinations we must do. If we could get to the point that every teenager gets regular HIV tests during their doctor's visits, I feel like so much of the stigma would dissolve. People would have no reason to judge people who had received a test because everyone else would receive them too. I think that parents would get over the initial discomfort from the pratcice once they see that these tests are a required part of the check-up and NOT in any way suggesting that their child is promiscuous.
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