BMJ  2007;334:1329-1330 (30 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39245.570093.BE

Editorials

Reducing the length of time between HIV infection and diagnosis

Targeting high risk groups should remain the priority

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

In this week's BMJ, two analysis articles about testing for HIV argue for changes in policy that would expand the number of people routinely tested by promoting opt-out approaches.^{1 2} Both papers argue that this would increase the proportion of the population who know their serostatus and would decrease the number of late diagnoses of HIV. The papers agree about the benefits of swift diagnosis of HIV, including reduced mortality and morbidity, less onward transmission because treatment should reduce infectiousness, and reduced costs of acute treatment and lost productivity.

We argue that a more precise goal for any changes in policy should be to reduce the average time between HIV infection and diagnosis in people who become infected.³ This goal allows a range of measures of success beyond a CD4 count below 200x10⁶/l and acknowledges that the earlier HIV is diagnosed the better.

As the secretary general . . . [Full text of this article]

Sigma Research, University of Portsmouth, London SW8 1XJ

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Time to move towards opt-out testing for HIV in the UK

M Hamill, K Burgoine, F Farrell, J Hemelaar, G Patel, D E Welchew, and H W Jaffe
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Routine testing to reduce late HIV diagnosis in France

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Adeela, B. (2009). A patient carrying HIV. BMJ Case Reports 2009: bcr0620080140-bcr0620080140 [Abstract] [Full text]  

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Reducing the length of time between HIV infection and diagnosis

Adrian J Palfreeman, et al.
bmj.com, 4 Jul 2007 [Full text]

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