S.A. Pushes for Free HIV Testing
Email: 
Share: 
News Brief
February 26, 2007 - 2:32amOn Feb. 22, the Student Assembly convened and unanimously passed Resolution 29, officially marking the start of a series of actions aimed at bringing free HIV testing back to the Cornell campus. Until the fall of 2005, Gannet had offered the test for free, but because of cuts in state funding, it has since added a testing charge of $25.
“Charging for the Elisa [HIV] test has negative and widespread implications,” said Calvin Selth ’07. “Anything that is an extra obstacle for a student wanting to take the test is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.”
The S.A. is hoping to get the endorsement of the University Assembly, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and the Employee Assembly regarding this issue. Columbia University and Yale University currently offer the test for free.
“For a university health service to offer free testing says a lot about the school’s priorities,” Selth said.
How many tests?
This story would have been a lot more useful if it told us how many HIV tests Gannett has administered annually both before and after the charge. What are the circumstances under which the charge is waived, and how often does that happen? How many students (and other Gannett clients) seek the test multiple times?