Free Rapid HIV Test Now In Some Drugstores

Source: MSNBC

ATLANTA — Health officials want to know if you would go to a drugstore to get tested for AIDS.

A news program being conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will use information gleaned from drugstore testing to develop a nationwide model for pharmacists and nurse practitioners to detect the virus that causes AIDS.

Drug store chain Walgreen said on Tuesday it will initially offer the tests in some of its pharmacies in Washington, D.C., and Chicago and in a clinic in Lithonia, Georgia. In cases where a test shows a positive result, Walgreen will refer the patient to a local health care provider for further confirmation and care.

“Our goal is to make HIV testing as routine as a blood pressure check,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “This initiative is one example of how we can make testing routine and help identify the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are unaware that they are infected.”

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