# CDC To Call For 1 AIDS Test For Every American: \[\]About Time \[\]Don't Like \[\]La-De-Dah **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006 "2006-05-09T02:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006/21 "2006-05-10T05:11:44Z")
I think it’s just more politicizing of the disease. Yeah, universal AIDS tests at every annual doctor’s visit would be great. But is that the biggest public health threat out there and is that the best use of money? I think you could serve the public health much better for less money if every doctor who had an overweight patient was required annually to say “You are going to die young because you are fat unless you start losing weight soon.” This is by far the biggest health problem facing most Americans. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006/22 "2006-05-10T09:27:52Z")
[QUOTE=Brain Wreck] I think you could serve the public health much better for less money if every doctor who had an overweight patient was required annually to say “You are going to die young because you are fat unless you start losing weight soon.” This is by far the biggest health problem facing most Americans. [/QUOTE] Just out of curiousity - what makes you think that most doctors **don’t** say that to their patients? Not to mention friends, neighbors and complete strangers, for that matter? Please note, however, that what doctors, nurses and other health professionals might say to their patients and what the patient might hear are often two different, and disturbingly unrelated, things. Last I heard, I can’t accidentally give someone “the fat” because I don’t know I’ve got it. The two situations are not comparable. I don’t want to imply that I think that there are no public health reasons to be concerned about obesity. But there’s a difference between the costs to society from obesity and the costs from HIV. And to individuals. (I’m really trying to avoid getting out my snarky keyboard, here. I hope I’ve succeeded. I also hope you’ll accept that it’s an issue I’ve got some issues with, and bear with any snarkiness I didn’t manage to tone done to tolerable levels.) ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006/23 "2006-05-10T11:20:19Z")
[QUOTE=appleciders] It removes the stigma of the _test_. It does very little for the stigma associated with the disease itself. Not saying the stigma is right or moral, but it’s certainly there. If you found out that a person you were romantically interested in was HIV+, wouldn’t that scare you off? [/QUOTE] I’d rather know a potential partner were HIV+ right off the bat and be able to take some precautions than not know it and risk having unprotected sex and thus getting infected myself. Besides, there are no scarlet letters or sandwich boards involved. Government health data is reported anonymously so they can keep track of the _kinds_ of people who tend to get HIV so they know how to better target their prevention and treatment efforts. That’s all. Robin ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006/24 "2006-05-13T06:27:59Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] My PCP already does this. Don’t most? [/QUOTE] Apparently not, given the number of people that react with horror and offence at the notion that someone would suggest that it might be a good idea if they got tested for HIV. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006/25 "2006-05-13T07:32:14Z")
[QUOTE=Homebrew] …the risks of sex with other men… [/QUOTE] Just for the record, I’m pretty sure **sven** is female. I had an HIV test shortly after I split up with my wife. I got a bloodwork form that had printed across it in 25%, 24-point bold type: **HIV** I went over to what seemed to be the lab (it was poorly marked) and there was a receptionist at a desk off to the side. She was talking on the phone and held her hand out to take the form from me. I actually recoiled and waited for her to get off the phone. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006/26 "2006-05-13T11:52:21Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] Last I heard, I can’t accidentally give someone “the fat” because I don’t know I’ve got it. The two situations are not comparable. [/quote] Sure they are. In fact, I could make an equally dismissive comment like “Last I heard, I can’t get HIV from bus stop toilet seats.” What you do to protect yourself from HIV is a personal choice, from abstinence, to lifelong monogamy, to condoms. If you required annual testing from someone’s physician, this would only cover the people who have medical insurance, leaving a lot of the most affected communities out of the loop. And even then, you’re relying on people’s good graces to notify partners of their status. So yeah, actually there is a comparison, and no, this is far from a no-brainer benefit. On the contrary it smells like the broken-window fallacy. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006/27 "2006-05-13T12:14:52Z")
I get tested every year as part of my employment visa renewal process. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cdc-to-call-for-1-aids-test-for-every-american-about-time-dont-like-la-de-dah/356006.md?page=1)