Compendium of State HIV Testing Laws: Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians, National HIV/AIDS Clinicians' Consultation Center, University of California at San Francisco (2011)

This guide provides state-by-state information on statutes, regulations, and policies related to HIV testing. For each state, the information is broken out into the following categories: informed consent, counseling, provisos of testing (anonymous, rapid, routine), disclosure, prenatal and neonatal testing, and minor/adolescent testing. The full version of the compendium, which includes in-depth information on each state’s laws, including full citations and text of statutes and regulations, is available here.

However, as explained by Dr. Ronald H. Goldschmidt, Director of the National HIV/AIDS Clinicians’ Consultation Center, in the preface to the compendium, “it is beyond the scope of the project to perform ongoing verification of every section.” In any event, chart synyopses of laws frequently are less than perfect at capturing the nuance of each state’s laws and consequently can mischaracterize a state’s actual policy. The only totally reliable way to ensure accuracy is to read a state’s specific laws and regulations. Consequently, given the breadth of the information and the time involved in collecting and updating it, advocates should be sure to verify all information provided in the compendium.