Informed consent for HIV testing in a South African hospital: is it truly informed and truly voluntary?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess informed consent to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in a perinatal HIV transmission study in a major referral hospital serving a largely Black population in South Africa.


METHODS
First-time antenatal clinic attenders who were randomly selected from those enrolled in the perinatal HIV study (n = 56) answered questionnaires before and after counseling.


RESULTS
Knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, high at the outset, was little improved after counseling. The acceptance rate for HIV testing was high. Despite assurances that participation was voluntary, 88% of the women said they felt compelled to participate in the study.


CONCLUSIONS
Informed consent in this setting was truly informed but not truly voluntary.
Abdool Karim
Q
Q
Centre for Epidemiological Research in South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.
Abdool Karim
S S
SS
Coovadia
H M
HM
Susser
M
M
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D035061:Control Groups; D003376:Counseling; D028744:Ethics Committees, Research; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007258:Informed Consent; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D037841:Pregnant People; D011295:Prenatal Care; D035842:Research Subjects; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D036302:Therapeutic Human Experimentation; D035141:Voluntary Programs; D035862:Vulnerable Populations