Miami Herald - Tuesday, DEC 24 1985
Ellyn Ferguson, Herald Staff Writer

The island governments of Jamaica, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Dominica decided this year to test thousands of job applicants.

In the United States, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Department of Health and Human Services have discounted the effectiveness of the test as a condition for employment. The American Medical Association convention recently rejected the idea of the antibody test as a requirement for marriage licenses, saying the test could be "ineffectual."

"The AMA is not the final word in health testing. The governments of the West Indies are concerned (about AIDS)," said Harold Edwards, the Washington liaison officer for the West Indies Central Labor Organization.

Although Edwards admitted the tests are inconclusive, he said some applicants were rejected because they tested positive.

"What would be the point in giving tests if you don't use them (the results)?" Edwards replied when asked if workers had been rejected solely because of the AIDS exposure test.

Edwards' organization represents the five governments that did the testing and the workers who are hired to cut sugar cane in Belle Glade. The organization acts as a go-between for member countries and the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, which does the recruiting for sugar companies.

Medical authorities say the test only shows that a person has been exposed to the AIDS virus. They contend the test is worthless in determining if someone with antibodies to the virus will develop the deadly disease.

"I see no value in it," said Dr. Dale Tavris, epidemiologist for the Palm Beach County Health Department.

Some businesses -- even the U.S. Army -- administer the antibody test.

But the HTLV-III testing is above and beyond the medical screening the United States requires for foreign workers brought into the country for agricultural labor.

Virgil Salois, a high-ranking official with the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Miami who oversees the foreign workers program, was surprised to learn of the testing.

"It's news to me. I don't know of any requirement of INS that they test for it," Salois said.

Ray Campbell, personnel officer for the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, said the West Indian governments may have decided to do the testing to counter a misconception that the yearly influx of foreign cane cutters into the Glades is linked somehow to the high rate of AIDS in Belle Glade.

Once the hiring was done, the West Indies Central Labor Organization also lectured workers about Belle Glade, which has the highest rate of AIDS cases in the United States.
851224
MH851205

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1985. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1985. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .