Is testing everyone for HIV logical?

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.563-a

BMJ 2003;327:563 (6 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.563-a

Letter

Is testing everyone for HIV logical?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Ammann in his editorial on preventing HIV is eitherbeing deliberately provocative or has got it entirely wrong.¹Testing everyone for HIV, regardless of perceived risk factors,to break down the barrier that HIV only affects "us" and not"me," is likely to do exactly the opposite. Labelling peopleas "having" and "not having" foments discrimination: it doesnot dispel it.

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Given the seroconversion window of three months, does Ammannexpect everyone to be tested on a permanent three monthly cycleto close the loop? Such impractical suggestions that promotediscrimination show blindness to what is going on in societyin general. In Cuba, HIV infected people have been imprisoned"for the public good," and in Africa the denialists rule countriesand opinion.

Furthermore, patients with HIV can be denied entry to visitAmmann's own country, the United States, by law.

Without the offer of political education and . . . [Full text of this article]

Jeffrey C McILwain, consultant, clinical risk management

Whiston Hospital, Prescot, Merseyside L35 5DR jeff.mcilwain@sthkhealth.nhs.uk