AIDS Test for Everyone?

That's what's in the works for everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 (why those particular cutoff ages were chosen isn't clear) if the Center for Disease Control gets its way, according to yesterday's news.

Okay, I'm all for making every possible -- and reasonable -- attempt to stop the transmission of the HIV virus. And testing everyone could go a long ways towards achieving that laudable goal.

BUT... my biggest concern is this: What will be done with that information?

Apparently there's no provision for counseling people who are discovered to be infected and did not know it. Will the information be available -- either officially or unofficially -- to employers? To health insurers? Others? I do not want to allow employment discrimination (hiring, firing, promotions) based on whether someone test positive for HIV, and I sure as hell do not want the already corrupt and inhumane insurance companies to have access to that information. They are already out of control and we don't need to enable them any further. They already have a policy that routinely denies lifesaving medical care whenever possible, and access to an individual's HIV status would give them the green light to just refuse coverage -- for health care, for life insurance, even automobile insurance.

I would like to see some ironclad safeguards in place to prevent this information from falling into the wrong hands before I could support this proposal.