An estimated 233,000 Americans are unaware that they are infected with HIV, a forum on HIV research said on Thursday. Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's call to routinely test everyone between the ages of 13 and 64, more than 20% of the approximately 1.1 million Americans with the virus are unaware of their status.People who are unaware that they are HIV-positive may be responsible for up to 70% of new sexually transmitted infections, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Experts said that routine testing is hampered by stigma associated with the virus as well as inadequate health insurance coverage for such tests. Out-of-pocket costs for the blood and saliva tests that screen for HIV can run between $80 and $120.
According to The Washington Post, only 5% of those who present with serious symptoms of the disease in hospital emergency rooms are being tested for HIV. The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, based at the George Washington University School of Public Health, made the announcement at the forum.
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