Establishing a successful HIV counseling and testing service. A blueprint for preventing pediatric HIV infections and translating research into clinical practice.
The findings of ACTG 076 have already resulted in local, state, and federal legislative initiatives targeted at pregnant and post-partum women and their newborns. This article advises clinicians and administrations on setting up successful voluntary prenatal HIV counseling and testing programs for early detection of HIV infection, and complying with the burgeoning array of legislative directives. Over the past several years their have been attempts to optimize and evaluate testing programs--perinatal ZDV counseling and administration of ZDV--and to link HIV-infected women with care in academic, community, and municipal hospitals. The suggestions are, therefore, broad enough to be applicable to a full array of clinical practices, from a private single provider office to a large hospital-based prenatal clinic. It is hoped that the models presented in this article can be replicated in diverse settings, and that readers can avoid the pitfalls and barriers sometimes encountered.
Rips
J
J
AVSC International, New York, New York, USA.
D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008403:Mass Screening; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation