Hastings Calls For Increased Access To Voluntary Screening For HIV/AIDS And STI’s
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(Washington, DC) Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) introduced the Increasing Access to Voluntary Screening for HIV/AIDS and STI’s Act of 2009, a bill that will reduce the spread and morbidities associated with HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
“Fifty percent of sexually active Americans will contract an STI at some point in their life. However, stigma, culture, language, lack of education, cost, limited resources, and inaccurate perceptions of risk contribute to insufficient screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs. These same factors have exacerbated the instances of transmission and late detection of HIV/AIDS and STIs over the past decade,” noted Hastings.
The Increasing Access to Voluntary Screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs Act of 2009 takes an aggressive and multifaceted approach to combating HIV/AIDS and STIs by increasing access to voluntary screening and other preventative methods while preserving patient rights and confidentiality. The bill also makes screening and other preventative services more accessible to groups that have been historically underrepresented in public health interventions for HIV/AIDS and other STIs.
“Voluntary and routine screening for HIV/AIDS and other STIs is an effective and low-cost approach to decreasing the life-threatening and life-altering effects of these infections. The Increasing Access to Voluntary Screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs Act of 2009 includes a comprehensive and evidence based strategy to improve the overall health of our nation.”
Original Cosponsors: Reps. Donna M. Christensen, Yvette D. Clarke, Emmanuel Cleaver, John Conyers Jr., Al Green, Raul M. Grijalva, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Gregory W. Meeks, Charles B. Rangel, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Bobby L. Rush, Edolphus Towns, Maxine Waters, Diane E. Watson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Robert Wexler
The Increasing Access to Voluntary screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs Act of 2009 is supported by the Harlem United AIDS Center, Global Justice Ministry of Metropolitan Community Churches, AIDS Institute, and National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA).
Congressman Alcee L. Hastings is Vice Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a senior member of the House Rules Committee, and Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
###Contact: Lale Mamaux
Phone: (202) 225-1313
