HIV Infection, Pregnant Women, and Newborns

Abstract

As the public health impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in women and children has increased, so has interest in screening pregnant women and newborns for evidence of HIV infection. However, screening of pregnant women and newborns raises profound moral, legal, and policy issues. In this article, we present and defend a detailed 10-point program of policy recommendations for both pregnant women and newborns. We advocate informing all pregnant women and new mothers about the HIV epidemic and the availability of testing. (JAMA. 1990;264:2416-2420)