Under a new Department of Defense policy implemented in late March, members of the U.S. military must be tested for HIV every two years. While the military began HIV testing of service members in the mid-1980s, military branches varied in their frequency of testing, according to the Pentagon news service. Testing every two years would allow the military to administer anti-viral drugs to infected service personnel prior to the onset of illnesses associated with the infection. Service members infected with HIV are not automatically discharged; they may continue to serve. The military reports that its infection rate -- about two new infections for every 10,000 service members annually -- is equal to or lower than the rate for the general population of the same ages and genders.

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