California Bill Would Establish Task Force To Establish Guidelines For Treatment of ‘Inadvertent’ HIV Exposure
California Assembly member Paul Koretz (D) has introduced a measure (AB 879) that would require the state Department of Health Services to form a task force that would be charged with creating treatment guidelines for cases of "inadvertent sexual exposure to HIV." The state currently has post-exposure treatment guidelines for health care workers and sexual assault survivors who are exposed to the virus (Southern California HIV/AIDS Advocacy Coalition release, 3/10). The bill would require the department's Office of AIDS to convene a task force to develop guidelines for the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in the general population. The bill would also establish requirements for task force meetings and membership, saying that the task force should be made up of no more than 10 members, including physicians, people living with HIV/AIDS, HIV service providers, drug makers and representatives from the Office of AIDS (AB 879 text, 3/11). Koretz said, "It seems prudent, particularly with Gov. Davis' (D) proposed cut to HIV prevention funds, to look at all strategies to slow the spread of this pandemic" (SCHAC release, 3/10). The bill is currently in the Assembly Health Committee and could be heard on March 23. If the bill passes the committee, it will move to the full Assembly (AB 879 history, 3/11).
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