In this feature article, Ann Hilton Fisher, Catherine Hanssens and David I. Schulman (from the ABA) analyze the new guidelines on HIV testing from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and find them wanting. The authors argue that the CDC's recommendation to do away with specific written informed consent for HIV tests is primarily based on a false assumption that the process of securing informed consent constitutes a barrier to HIV testing; and that, on the contrary, streamlined HIV testing, with rapid testing and counselling tailored to each individual's needs, has proven effective while retaining informed consent.