President Clinton in 1993 established the Office of AIDS Policy to coordinate all federal-level efforts against the epidemic. The task force has provided an opportunity for members of affected communities, the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and government agencies to engage in frank discussions about removing obstacles to AIDS drug development. These discussions have been reinforced by the President's Summit on AIDS in December of 1995 and subsequent meetings of the President's Advisory Council on AIDS, as well as Vice President Gore's meetings with the pharmaceutical industry. It's expected that FDA's approval in 1996 of two blood tests will result in earlier diagnosis of HIV infection, especially among women and minorities. A home test kit, available over the counter, enables a person to obtain a blood sample at home and then send it, with identity protected, to a lab for analysis.
Counseling is provided as part of the test system.
Orasure Western blot is a laboratory test that doesn't require a blood sample. Rather, it requires a tissue sample that can be collected from between the gum and cheek. The cream may cause the latex to weaken or break. As knowledge about HIV and AIDS has grown over the years, CDC has expanded its definition to include additional AIDS-defining illnesses. CD4 cells are critical immune system cells that number from about 800 to 1,000 in a healthy person.