Medical advancement may lead to slowing the spread of herpes

In an effort to slow the spread of HIV in New York, Governor David Paterson has approved two bills that will improve the availability of treatments to HIV-positive patients. The first law will incorporate screening for the virus into routine health appointments, while the second will improve the availability of needle exchange and syringe access programs, according to The Hudson Valley Press.

Also, Paterson has signed a legislation that would make the possession of syringes legal across the state, regardless of evidence of drug use. Officials believe that this initiative will encourage more people to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which could prevent the spreading of HIV and hepatitis C.

"The new HIV testing law will go a long way to get more New Yorkers tested for HIV, detect HIV infection earlier for those who are positive, get people into proper care and lower the overall rate of HIV infection in this state," said Brittany R. Allen, executive director of the New York AIDS Coalition, quoted by the news source.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that in 2007, approximately 17,000 Americans contracted hepatitis C, while 42,000 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in the U.S. that same year.