In 2006, nearly 25 percent of the 60,000-plus Americans who had newly contracted the HIV virus were not aware of it, and thus weren't getting treatment or protecting their sexual partners. Today it's 21 percent -- an improvement, but nowhere near enough, said speakers at an HIV/AIDS conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

''It's crucial to understand how important routine HIV testing is at every level of American society so everyone knows their status; it's the first step in controlling the HIV epidemic,'' said Dr. Veronica Miller, executive director of the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research.

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