European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 5, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 5,1987 the stars and stripes pages forum to consider expanded aids testing Atlanta Al j Federal health official concerned Over an increase to aids among Halcro sexual. Said tuesday to lick May recommend that aids blood tests be mandatory for All Hospital a Licals and for couples applying for marriage licenses. The lest is now required Only for blood donors. The National centers for disease control has m viled 250 Public health officials to Atlanta for a forum feb. 14-25 to discuss the proposal or. Walter Dowdic inc cacs aids director said. What inc meeting is really about is to explore the issues related to using the lest to prevent further infection. We re kicking for a Public forum Dowdic said in an interview. We re saying these arc the ways the lest might be used. Here arc the justifications Here arc inc  one obstacle he said could be a concern Over confidentiality. Hospitals and government agencies would have in ensure thai lest results remain secret Lopre vent discrimination against aids carriers. Dowdic said inc proposal is being considered now because tests for exposure to the aids virus have proven highly accurate and because the number of americans who have contracted aids through Hetero sexual Contact has risen from Only a few in 1981 to 4 Pyrc Cal of inc More than 30.0ck cases that have been con firmed. Of those confirmed cases about half have died according to cd figures. The person who benefits from the test is the individual and the contacts of that individual Dowel staid. He said the cd is not proposing that a person who tests positive for the aids antibody while applying for i marriage License be denied a License. But that information would provide on Opportunity for counselling and protect inc non infected potential partner As Well As future  he said. Mandatory aids antibody testing of people routinely admitted to hospitals would provide the physician with information that May directly relate to the Way he cares for the patient Dodte said. A person who tests positive for the aids antibody indicating exposure to the virus has a 20 percent to 30 a photo improved aids testing a technician at Abbott laboratories in Lake county Iii inspects a Batch of biochemically treated bends used in tests la screen donated blood far the aids virus. The improved testing system enables blood Banks id find contaminated blood that might otherwise not be detected. Period. Dowdic said. Between 1 million and i. Mil lion americans have been exposed o the virus he said premarital and prenatal testing would Benefit new Borns he said. There is a 30 percent to 50 percent Chance of a Mother who tests positive for the aids virus passing the infection to the child. Most children who lest positive for aids Al birth have some manifestation of inc disease within a few  the cd recommendation and the Public forum arc designed simply to gel Public input. We have not committed ourselves to this. The Way we feel is that it s belter to have it discussed in the open than not at All Dodte said. The proposal was sharply criticized by Nan Hunter an attorney with the american civil liberties Union who specializes in sexual privacy cases. She said she has been invited to the cd forum. We believe that a much More practical method of slopping the spread of the disease is to concentrate on voluntary testing education and counselling she said. We think mandatory testing is a violation of Funda mental privacy rights and. Like Many coercive Mea sures  similar reactions came from Carol Levine who re searches ethical issues related to aids a the Hasting Center in Hastings on Hudson . From Thomas b. Stoddard executive director of the Lambda Legal de sense and education fund in new York which special izes in cases on Gay rights and aids and from or. Neil Schram chairman of inc los Angeles City county aids task Force. It s not just a civil rights Issue it s a medical Issue As Well. Our health care system is totally unprepared to counsel people who lest positive Schram said. Aids is a so far incurable disease transmitted through an Exchange of body fluids that attacks the body s immune system leaving victims susceptible to a wide variety of infections and cancers in the United slates and Europe aids has so far been largely confined 10 male homosexuals Hemphi Jacs who May gel transfusions of infected blood and intravenous drug abuses who share contaminated acc cd to be transmitted primary  Seez Zuj Zussy blvd the Oklahoma vets hold statehouse protest Over Benefit cuts Oklahoma City a Hun Sals. Last week the House adopted the going to balance the budget on the backs maimed the poor and the needy Veler dress of veterans wearing their old urn same Resolution. Of the  ans from their refuse or Safe Haven to Cit a dress of veterans wearing their old uni forms and waving american lags jammed the Capitol on tuesday and won pledges from lawmakers that state programs for veterans won t be phased out. Gov. Henry Bellmon himself a world War ii Veteran has proposed phasing out the stale department of veterans affairs and transferring its programs to other agencies. He also has proposed phasing out the Hali dozen state run veterans centers and placing some 800 veterans in private nursing Homes. On tuesday the Senate passed a Reso Lution that it was the legislature s intent not to support Bellmon s veterans proposals Sam bet Mon has estimated his changes in he veterans programs would save Aboul $11.$ million As the state struggles to Deal with an estimated budget shortfall of $363 million. This might not be the Best time for me to be before you Bellman told a crowd of about 500 veterans and their families who jammed into the House chamber tuesday for the Observance of veterans awareness Day. Another Esti mated 2,000 people milled about the Ca Pitol although Bellmon was greeted with polite applause from the crowd. House speaker Jim Barker was interrupted with cheers when he vowed we Are not Goin o veterans from world War ii Loviet Nam were in the crowd. The state veterans centers arc serving Only a minority of the slate s 400,000 veterans leaving most to be treated in private nursing Homes Bellmon said. This system in effect creates a double Standard of health care for veterans the governor said. Another Bellmon recommendation a to convert veterans centers in Norman and Clinton into treatment facilities for inmates with drug and alcohol dependencies. That recommendation Drew fire from retired la. Col. Col Harris past chair Man of the. Oklahoma veterans Council. In our minds evicting the sick inc dancing sinful objectors say Oklahoma school holding St prom Ames okla