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On the heels of announcing 40% of New Yorkers practice unsafe sex, the Department of Health wants to test every adult in the Bronx for HIV over the next three years. Noting the borough's highest AIDS-related death rate in the city, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden said, "The Bronx has the opportunity to lead the city in the fight against HIV/AIDS by being the first borough to have all residents tested."
The health department hopes to make voluntary testing more available in hospitals and clinics, but the NY Times details how NY State law has been an obstacle: Essentially, the law has stayed the same since the 1980s and requires patients to "give written permission for testing after being counseled on the process, which many doctors found onerous and time-consuming." An oral consent process, many experts agree, would increase the number of people who would be willing to be tested.
Robert Bank, COO of the advocacy group Gay Men's Health Crisis, told the Times he hoped the program would expand to the rest of the boroughs, “Brooklyn is a horribly devastated borough. Manhattan is a highly impacted borough, Queens is a highly impacted borough.” (The highest incidents of HIV and AIDS is in Manhattan.) And in the past year, the Health Department has revealed cases of HIV among high schoolers are up nearly 30% and cases of HIV among young gay men are also rising. Here's information on where the city offers free HIV testing.
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First of all, I'm pretty sure there are no gay people in the Bronx, Kojak. Even we can't gentrify that place.
And second of all, the Bronx seems a fairly poor choice to start this program with for a few reasons. Given the history in the minority communities of viewing AIDS as a conspiracy against them I have a strong feeling someone is going to come out with a whole idea that they are being unfairly targeted and it will only feed the paranoia. Not to mention the fact that the idea of AIDS isn't even acknowledged in these same communities. What makes anyone think they are going to get tested for HIV if they refuse to own up to the fact that it even exists in their community? Thinking like this has lead to them to not even having the common sense to wear condoms in the first place. Getting tested is a stretch.
Apparently babyhitler beat me to the punch on that one . . . Thanks for stepping up there, stud.
I'm sure Riverdale residents will be so into this.
Something doesn't add up... the 2000 Census population for the Bronx is 1,332,650... only 250,000 of those are untested 18-64 year olds? There's got to be a ton more... I mean, how many old 55 year old married couple types are getting tested for HIV?
mt seems to talk a lot about things he probably doesn't know much about (i.e. the bronx, minorities). no wonder you're a hillary fan.
Ohh I'm sure there are some gay people in the Bronx but depending on what community they're in they keep things on the DL.
Wow I knew there was a reason I did not hook up with chicks from the BX other than them be geographical undesierable.
"mt seems to talk a lot about things he probably doesn't know much about (i.e. the bronx, minorities). no wonder you're a hillary fan."
i couldn't have said it better myself.
Lol get ready to be stigamtized and discriminated agianst if you do test positive. The key to getting people to test is accepting and banishing the discrimination. This only makes it worse in fact seems quite manipulative. Come in for a routine check up on a matter other than hiv then be suggested to a test not knowing the unjust responsibility society will throw at you should you test positive. Just this weekend my 6 year old nephew was told by his grandmother not to touch me or hug me or eat after me. Everyone thinks we should disclose im tired of disclosing to people who only use it agianst me later. Your all grown adults your body is your responsibility. Sleep with everyone as if they were and stop placing all the responsibility on positive people for all your doing is driving it underground.
One of the health experts said that people should think about checking their HIV status the way they do their cholestorol--it should be just another test you expect to do during a physical.
"Hello Mr Thompson this is the Doctor's office, we have good news. You lowered your cholesterol to 190. Great work adhering to your new diet. Unfortunately you have AIDS."
alright. Suppose these people get tested. "Hey, You're HIV Postive! Do the socially responsible thing and don't have sex with other people or wear condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS". Somehow, If they were socially responsible in the first place they wouldn't have gotten HIV.
I love all the misinformation being said here about HIV and AIDS in these comments.
Great Job.
Why not throw in an I.Q. test as well? Undiagnosed and untreated stupidity is the most serious health and social concern in the lovely Borough of The Bronx.
They should do that for the entire nation, aren't we some of the stupidest people in the developed world?
Discrimination and non compassion of this and many other issues is americas sickness. Anything you try to fix by yelling get tested is like putting a band aid on a gunshot wound. Doesnt do shit unless uou fix the root problem. You cant just say test test test and not deal with stigma just a bit.. Who wants to know when the same people saying be tested are the ones who will look down on you for getting it in the first place.