Currently 1 out of 5 HIV positive Americans are unaware of their HIV status. These 20% of all US HIV cases are responsible for nearly half of all domestic HIV transmissions every year. Despite huge advances in quality and scope of HIV treatment in the past decade, incidence rates have remained the same with around 50,000 Americans becoming newly infected each year. It is only through testing, increased accessibility to care and de-stigmatization of the virus that these numbers can be reduced. No matter how advanced our medicines and treatments are, we can't eradicate HIV if we don't know who to treat. And we can't know who to treat if financial issues or the stigma associated with HIV prevents people from getting tested. It is for this reason that widespread, routinized HIV testing is so vitally important for the health of our nation.

The Routine HIV Screening Coverage Act of 2012 (H.R. 4470) would mandate that all health plans cover routine HIV testing with no additional fees and without withholding funding for people that don't possess "adequate risk factors." This is doubly important in that it enables people of all socioeconomic levels direct access to HIV testing and normalizes testing so that it is seen as a regular part of general health coverage, like getting a flu shot or a mammogram. I also must stress, that this DOES NOT mandate that people consent to HIV tests. Whether or not someone decides to take an HIV test is entirely up to them. We simply want to eliminate any barriers to testing should they decide to do so.

If we want to eradicate HIV, we must make it so that it is no longer a “those people” disease. We are all at risk for HIV infection regardless of race, class or creed and we must stand up to the disease as one. Please, sign this petition and contact your local congressperson to enact this resolution. HIV doesn't discriminate and neither should our testing for it.