USPSTF issues draft universal HIV screening recommendation

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has issued a draft recommendation that all adults (aged 15-65) should be screened for HIV. It also reaffirmed its recommendation for screening all pregnant women, giving both a "Grade A.” The previous recommendation for all non-pregnant adults had been a "Grade C.” The task force also recommends that high-risk teens younger than 15 years old and high-risk adults older than 65 should be screened.

The change comes from new research showing that lower transmission rates and less AIDS-related complications result from starting antiretroviral treatment earlier in the disease course. Data showed that screening based on risk-factor assessment could miss up to 20-25% of those infected. In addition, short- and long-term harms from screening the whole population were minimal. Concurrently, the false-positive rate of the diagnostic test is low, short-term side effects from antiretroviral treatment (ART) are usually minimal, and transient and long-term effects of ART, including cardiovascular disease, seem to be small.

The final recommendation will be issued after a period for public comment, which ends on December 17^th.

Visit the USPSTF web site for the full recommendation statement and to submit a comment.