According to this piece from POZ, less than 1% of ER visits includes an HIV test. Even though there's a push for Opt-Out HIV testing for ER's, it's not offered often. As usual the numbers are worse in the South.
In the past 5 years due to health issues, I've been in a walk-in clinic & ER, neither had my health record immediately available & neither mentioned testing. The numbers for the South according to this were 0.05% overall & as low as 0.01% in rural areas. In a small town, southern ER that means about 1 out of 1,000 are tested. Some of these towns only have 5 - 10K people. That would only be 5 - 10 people tested.
In addition, the CDC estimates around 14% of the 1.2 million people living with HIV nationwide do not know they carry the virus, and nearly 40% of new HIV cases are transmitted by people who don’t know their status.
In rural areas, especially among the poor, the ER may be the only contact people have with medical professionals. If testing isn't going to happen or even be mentioned there, where will it be? After, my doctor flaked out & "retired" that left only a handful of actual MD's/DO's in my county. Most people see nurse practitioners. I currently see such a person. While I'm grateful they're here, they aren't doctors. What happens when matters are beyond them & no doctors are available nearby?
How can we get people to get tested if we can't even get medical professionals to offer the test? At least there's the health department. Still, in some large county that may be a ways off from people. Wrapping here, get tested & offer testing. Be part of the solution, not part of the issue.
Cya...
