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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Stephanie L. Sansom, PhD, MPP, MPH, Epidemiology Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E-45, Atlanta, GA 30333, 404-639-6152, sos9@cdc.gov, Yvonne A. Maldonado, MD, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford University Hospital 312, SUMC, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, and Juan D. Ruiz, MD, DrPH, HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Branch, Office of AIDS, California Department of Health Services, 611 North 7th St., Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Background: As many as 370 U.S. infants annually are estimated to be perinatally infected with HIV. The availability of highly effective anti-retroviral medications makes the majority of these cases preventable if pregnant women know their HIV status. Many states sponsor programs to increase HIV counseling and testing among pregnant women. Assessing program impact can be challenging, however, due to variability in counseling and testing data among states. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and several states engaged in programs to increase counseling and testing rates identified a variety of data sources to monitor program impact. Results: Using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), South Carolina found 78% of pregnant women in 1999 reported having been counseled about HIV testing. In New Jersey, 81% of pregnant women reported, via an electronic birth certificate, having been counseled in 2000. A medical chart audit in Connecticut showed 91% of pregnant women were tested for HIV in December 1999, following passage of a mandatory newborn screening law. In California, 74% of women surveyed in 2000 reported having been offered an HIV test during a prenatal visit, while 93% of providers surveyed said they offered testing to more than 90% of their pregnant clients. Conclusions: A variety of data sources exist to assess programs designed to improve HIV counseling and testing rates among pregnant women. The validity of the data may vary by source, however. Standardized definitions and methods for monitoring HIV counseling and testing could enhance program evaluation.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Perinatal Health, HIV/AIDS
Related Web page: www.cdc.gov/hiv/projects/perinatal/default.htm
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.