North Carolina Health Commission Recommends Requiring HIV Testing Among Pregnant Women

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 29 Aug 2007 - 7:00 PDT

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The North Carolina Commission for Public Health on Wednesday voted to recommend requiring HIV tests for all pregnant women in the state immediately before delivery if they have not already been tested in the third trimester of pregnancy, the AP/Myrtle Beach News & Observer reports. Under current regulations, pregnant women in the state are given the option of receiving an HIV test as part of prenatal care. The regulation would require women who come to a medical facility to deliver to be tested if their HIV/AIDS status is unknown. The commission, which makes rules for medical practitioners in the state, also recommended requiring HIV testing for infants who are brought to a medical facility (AP/Myrtle Beach News & Observer, 8/24). The regulation must be approved by the North Carolina Rules Review Commission, and it is unclear when it would take effect. "Our goal is to not have any babies born in our state with HIV infection," state Health Director Leah Devlin said, adding, "There is no excuse for it. There are a lot of available medications and other things we can do that can reduce the transmission to infants, and we need to put in place every tool that we have to do that" (Quillin, Raleigh News & Observer, 8/25).

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