HIV Screening

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends that all individuals between the ages of 15 and 65 undergo a screening test for HIV at least once, and extends this recommendation to people younger than 15 or older than 65 with increased risk factors such as men who have sex with men, unprotected heterosexual intercourse or multiple sex partners, or IV drug use. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends screening for everyone between the ages of 13 and 64, and consideration of annual screening for those with increased risk factors. Generally, it is also recommended that pregnant women undergo HIV screening. There is medical treatment available that can greatly reduce the risk of transmission from an infected mother to her baby.