City Plans to Test Every Bronx Adult for HIV

City officials aim to test every Bronx adult for HIV by 2011 under an ambitious initiative to tackle the high rate of AIDS deaths in the borough, the New York Times reports. The voluntary testing would become routine in emergency rooms and storefront clinics and would pare down consent requirements into a 5-minute presentation health care providers could quickly run through.

“Routine would mean if you came into the emergency room for asthma or a broken leg, we test everyone for HIV, if they’re willing,” said the city's health commssioner. Most health officials welcomed what may be the nation's largest testing effort, but some residents were concerned it would reinforce stereotypes about the Bronx. (More AIDS stories.)