Media Advisory

CDC to Issue Final Recommendations on Routine HIV Screening in Health Care Settings

WHAT: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold a telephone press briefing to announce new recommendations for routine HIV testing in health care settings. The recommendations are designed to make voluntary HIV screening a normal part of medical care for all patients ages 13 to 64. With these recommendations, CDC aims to simplify the HIV testing process in health care settings and increase early HIV diagnosis among the estimated more than 250,000 HIV-positive Americans who remain unaware of their infection. The recommendations also include new measures to improve diagnosis among pregnant women in order to further reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission. CDC officials will discuss the new recommendations and their anticipated impact on HIV treatment and prevention efforts in the United States.

WHEN: Thursday, September 21 at 11:00 AM, ET

WHO: Kevin Fenton, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB
Prevention (NCHSTP), CDC

Timothy Mastro, M.D.
Acting Director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP),
NCHSTP, CDC

Bernard Branson, M.D.
Associate Director for Laboratory Diagnostics, DHAP,
NCHSTP, CDC

EMBARGO: The recommendations are embargoed until Thursday, September 21 at 12:00 PM EDT

REGISTER: Advance registration is required. To register for the briefing and receive the toll-free dial-in number, please call Bret Brintzenhofe at (212) 584-5019.

###
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES