There's still time to RSVP! Join a growing list of confirmed colleagues from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, and Washington, D.C. who will be dialing in or attending this important discussion. Whether you fund in New York or beyond, we invite you to take part in this briefing and learn how grantmakers can prepare in advance and partner with their grantees to respond to major shifts in the field.

On Tuesday, March 23rd from 3:00 – 5:00 PM, Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) will convene the funder briefing: HIV Testing and Written, Informed Consent in New York: Where Policy, Community and Funding Intersect. Sponsored by the New York Community Trust, this event will provide a forum to discuss how pending legislation surrounding HIV testing and written, informed consent may impact local communities at-risk and health care providers in New York.

Confirmed panelists include:

An extended Q&A period will explore the role funders have played, and will continue to play, in guiding this debate. A more detailed announcement will be forthcoming. We hope you will be able to join us!

Sponsored and hosted by:

The event will be hosted at the New York Community Trust (909 Third Avenue, New York City, NY). Remote access (via teleconference) will also be provided for those who cannot attend in person. FCAA would like to thank Len McNally (New York Community Trust) and Jasmine Thomas (Surdna Foundation) for their continued guidance and support of this event.

RSVP today by emailing sarah@fcaaids.org.
Please note: This gathering is for funders only.

KEY FACTS

New York State enacted Article 27-f of Public Health Law in 1988 to protect the confidentiality and privacy of anyone who has been tested for, exposed to, infected by or treated for HIV or a HIV/AIDS-related illness. This law requires that a doctor – or anyone else ordering an HIV test – must first have the patient read and sign an “informed consent” form explaining the test and patient’s rights. In addition, both pre- and post-test counseling must be provided to any patients receiving an HIV test.
Revised data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that about 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in 2008 there were approximately 3,806 new HIV diagnoses in New York City alone.
In 2006 the CDC revised their HIV testing recommendations in effort to reduce barriers to HIV testing, and thus, make it a routinized part of general healthcare. While the CDC maintains that: 1) testing must be voluntary, 2) testing must not be conducted without the knowledge of the patient, and 3) obtaining written informed consent is an ethical obligation, the new guidelines go further: “Separate written consent for HIV testing should not be required; general consent for medical care should be considered sufficient to encompass consent for HIV testing...Prevention counseling should not be required with HIV diagnostic testing or as part of HIV screening programs in health-care settings.” According to CDC, 20 states required separate, signed consent before an HIV test at the time that the 2006 recommendations were issued. As of Oct 2009, 13 of those states have removed the signed consent requirement. Proposed similar legislation continues to provoke heated debate in the remaining seven states (Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin).
Multiple bills are currently pending in New York state that aim to routinize HIV testing in health care settings, with varying differences regarding how the tests are offered (i.e. written informed consent and counseling).

About Funders Concerned About AIDS: Founded in 1987, FCAA is the only U.S.-based organization comprised of and for private philanthropic institutions concerned about, engaged in, or potentially active in the fight against HIV/AIDS. An affinity group recognized by the Council on Foundations, FCAA’s mission is to mobilize all forms of philanthropic leadership and resources to address the pandemic and its consequences. For more information, visit www.fcaaids.org.