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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Rahul Pannala, MB, BS1, Stefanie L. Napolitano, BS2, Sindy M. Paul, MD, MPH2, and Parvin Ahmad-Khanlou, PhD2. (1) School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services, Room #415, Arnold House, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9304, (413) 546 4873, rahulp@schoolph.umass.edu, (2) Division of AIDS Prevention and Control, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, P.O. Box 363, Trenton, NJ 08625-0363
Reducing perinatal HIV transmission is a public health priority in the United States. The 1998 Institute of Medicine report determined that the main reason for vertical HIV transmission is the woman’s lack of knowledge of her HIV status. A survey of 52 jurisdictions was conducted to determine the percentage that had legislation for counseling and testing of pregnant women and the impact on the vertical transmission rate. Thirty-six of 52 jurisdictions (69%) responded. Of the respondents 13(36%) have a law, 8(22%) have a regulation and 15(43%) have a recommendation. Only three states had a law prior to 1995. Of the 33 states which provided data, counseling rates were studied by 17(47%) with a median rate of 74.5%(range 56-99%) and testing rates were studied by 18 states (50%) with a median rate of 72.8%(range 42-100%). Eleven states (30.5%) reported vertical transmission rates. States reporting a decrease in vertical transmission have a law, regulation or recommendation. The median decrease in vertical transmission between 1993 and post-implementation of the legislation is 17%(range 11.3-28%). Nine of the 16 states in this study from the upper tertile of cumulative AIDS cases in the US have a law where as none of the eight in the bottom third do. States in the upper tertile have a higher counseling and testing rate as compared to those in the lower tertile. States should consider enacting and implementing legislation for HIV counseling and testing of pregnant women as a part of a comprehensive approach to reducing vertical HIV transmission.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Prevention
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.