HIV infection, pregnant women, and newborns: A policy proposal for information and testing.
As the public health impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in women and children has increased, so has interest in screening pregnant women and newborns for evidence of HIV infection. However, screening of pregnant women and newborns raises profound moral, legal, and policy issues. In this article, we present and defend a detailed 10-point program of policy recommendations for both pregnant women and newborns. We advocate informing all pregnant women and new mothers about the HIV epidemic and the availability of testing.
Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D033282:Parental Consent; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011050:Policy Making; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D037841:Pregnant People; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States; D035141:Voluntary Programs; D035862:Vulnerable Populations