Prenatal HIV testing in Ontario: knowledge, attitudes and practices of prenatal care providers in a province with low testing rates.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of prenatal care providers in relation to prenatal HIV testing.


METHODS
A stratified random sample of 784 family physicians, 200 obstetricians and 103 midwives providing prenatal care in 3 health planning regions in Ontario received a questionnaire.


RESULTS
Response was 622/1087 (57%). Almost half of participants (43%) were not aware of Ontario's prenatal HIV testing policy. Eighty-five percent of participants reported that they offered or ordered HIV testing for all pregnant women. Sixty-six percent agreed that women should have a choice about whether to test or not, and midwives were more supportive of having an informed consent process than were physicians.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge about the risks and benefits of prenatal HIV testing needs to be improved, and standards for informed consent should be re-evaluated to achieve the most ethical process with the least complexity.
Guenter
Dale
D
Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON. guentd@mcmaster.ca
Carroll
June
J
Kaczorowski
Janusz
J
Sellors
John
J
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003376:Counseling; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000592:standards; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000592:standards; D009864:Ontario; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires