Precautionary Reagan AIDS Test Negative
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WASHINGTON — Tests for AIDS and hepatitis on the unit of blood President Reagan gave before his surgery in January were negative, a White House spokeswoman said Monday.
Reagan gave the blood in case a transfusion was necessary during his prostate surgery on Jan. 5, the official said.
The blood tests for AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and hepatitis were negative. The routine tests were made because of the blood transfusions Reagan had received after he was shot in an assassination attempt in 1981.
The Public Health Service is expected to recommend soon that people who received blood transfusions between 1977 and 1985, when screening procedures were set up, should be tested for the AIDS virus.
Of the nearly 32,000 cases of AIDS reported in the epidemic, about 2% have occurred among recipients of blood transfusions.
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