ATLANTA, Oct. 10 (UPI)

A study concludes that routine testing for HIV recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta may violate many state laws. The study, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, found that more than 30 states require specific consent before HIV testing may occur and nearly half require the consent to be in writing.

The state laws are in contrast to recommendations issued by the CDC in 2006 that recommend routine HIV testing for all Americans between the ages of 13 and 64. Researchers, led by Leslie Wolf of Georgia State University College of Law’s Center for Health, Law and Society, learned that almost half of the states require disclosure of specific information about HIV to patients before testing that include information on how HIV is transmitted, what people can do to protect themselves and what will be done with the test results.

Wolf and colleagues contend that HIV testing practices are unlikely to change without better understanding of why states have retained requirements for specific consent and pre-test counseling.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International