Antenatal HIV antibody testing in Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of voluntary antenatal testing in HIV surveillance and prevention by examining antenatal HIV antibody testing practice and policy in Australia.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire.


METHODS
Specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists and general practitioners (GPs) affiliated with the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Australian public hospital antenatal clinics, August-November 1992.


METHODS
The percentage of public hospital antenatal clinics and specialist and GP obstetricians in Australia who tested pregnant women for HIV antibody as part of their antenatal care, and the proportion of pregnant women in Australia who had an antenatal HIV antibody test in the 1991-92 financial year.


RESULTS
Questionnaires concerning antenatal HIV antibody testing were completed by 90% (993/1108) of specialists, 87% (2134/2461) of GPs and 93% (215/230) of public hospitals surveyed. Of the 706 specialists and 1503 GPs who reported that they were currently engaged in obstetric care, approximately 60% (430/706) and 935/1503, respectively) offered antenatal HIV testing either to all pregnant women or to selected groups at risk. There were significant differences in testing patterns between States and Territories. For the 95 public hospitals with antenatal clinics, 81% (77) offered the HIV antibody test to all or selected groups of pregnant women; these percentages did not differ significantly between States and Territories. It was estimated that 25% of pregnant women seen by specialists, 29% seen by GPs and 9% seen in public hospital clinics were tested for HIV antibody as part of their antenatal care in 1991-92.


CONCLUSIONS
In Australia approximately one in five pregnant women were tested for HIV antibody as part of their antenatal care in 1991-92. Voluntary HIV testing in pregnancy may provide unrepresentative data for measuring the prevalence of HIV infection in pregnant women.
Elford
J
J
National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney.
MacDonald
M A
MA
Gabb
R G
RG
Ryan
M M
MM
Kaldor
J M
JM
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001315:Australia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D011295:Prenatal Care