Survival Rates Among HIV-Positive People Who Receive Lab Tests
Similar to People Who Do Not Receive Tests, Study Finds April
28, 2008 Survival rates among HIV-positive people who undergo
routine viral load and CD4+ T cell counts were nearly the same
as those who do not receive the tests, according to a study
published on Friday in the journal Lancet, the CP/Google.com
reports (CP/Google.com, 4/24). In some wealthy countries, HIV-
positive people undergo routine laboratory screening -- which
can cost about $20 to $60 -- about every six months. In many
developing countries, HIV-positive people usually are monitored
by a physician or nurse for clinical signs of disease
progression (Cheng, Associated Press, 4/24). Phillips said,
"Laboratory monitoring shouldn't be the priority while we've got
less than half of people who need treatment still waiting for
it" (Associated Press, 4/24). "Waiting for the perfect lab
infrastructure to be ready before rolling out antiretroviral
therapy means that millions of people will