HIV virus has continued to be more prevalent among the young and middle aged individuals. The government has devised several methods of reducing the percentage of new infections by half. This is particularly considered to be an effective method of getting citizens know their status and seek necessary treatment concerning the same. For instance, HIV testing procedures have been conductedamong all U.S residents aged between 13 to 64 years. Concerned bodies have even pushed for a routine testing that holds that HIV testing be part of medical care offered to patients whenever they visit health centers.
Following this policy and its intended objective, targeting areas that have high-risks of recording a greater percentage of new HIV infections is a way that would help control the HIV pandemic. These high risks groups are more likely to contract the virus since they have limited access to routine HIV testing and healthcare services. These regions have people who are drug users. For this reason, they are likely to engage in indiscriminate sexual behavior. Having many sexual partners increases one’s risk of contracting the virus. However, theses routine testing should focus on drug-treatment facilities, community health and prison environments.
According to CDC, continued routine HIV testing would increase doctor workload. HIV testing involves counselling and recommendations that would consume more of doctors’ time. In effect, new cases would encroach health facilities and regular patients would receive little attention and low quality services. As much as CDC would advocate for concentration of HIV testing in high-risk areas, it has to consider the changes that would arise when the target groups get to know of their HIV status.