CA: HIV Names Reporting On The Fast Track

The California state LGBT Legislative Caucus has capitulated to pressure from the Bush administration and has co-sponsored legislation to start allow the state (and federal government) to start names-based HIV surveillance.

In a stunning legislative development, the State Senate has unanimously passed legislation to start tracking HIV cases by name. The vote tally on SB 699 was 33-0. You know something is up when the Democrats and the Republicans are agreeing on anything.

I think this is horrendous public policy. Do people really think that we will be decreasing the number of HIV infections by telling people that if they test HIV+ their name will be sent to the county, state and federal officials? Will that decrease or increase the number of people who take an HIV test? If the number of people who will get tested decreases doesn't that increase the number of people who don't know their HIV status and thus the number of infections?

Why do you think the State Legislative LGBT Caucus, AIDS Project Los Angeles, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation all support this legislation?