WASHINGTON -- The Associated Press reports Republican Rep. Tom Coburn of
Oklahoma is seeking support for a bill that would require states to
alert people to possible contacts with HIV-infected partners.
Coburn, who is also a physician, said the bill's provisions will protect
those who are not infected and speed the delivery of new treatments for
those that are. The Associated Press says the American Medical
Association supports the measure.
One of the bill's provisions is the creation of a national HIV reporting
system. States would be required to report every new HIV diagnosis to
the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. 26 states already supply
this information to the CDC, the rest report only new AIDS cases.
Among the proposal's more controversial features is a partner
notification requirement (the CDC currently notifies partners in new
AIDS diagnoses), and a new requirement imposed on insurers to reveal HIV
test results to applicants.
The Human Rights Campaign protested the bill would intrude on the
authority of trained health professionals and counselors, and do nothing
to target individuals most at risk for HIV and AIDS. It also said
partner notification is a costly and ineffective method of controlling
the disease.
