Oral

Psychosocial and behavioral factors may contribute to the disproportionate risk of African American women for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Yet, only 20% of women comply with healthcare provider referrals to psychosocial interventions. Co-location of psychosocial risk reduction counseling within the prenatal care clinic may improve intervention adherence. Testing pregnant women for HIV is critical: infected women are more likely to accept medical treatment during pregnancy, and interventions can prevent transmission to infants. Prenatal care is especially important for pregnant women at risk for HIV infection, and home-based care models can increase access, improving infant and maternal outcomes. The neonatal mortality rate for low risk women in North America using Certified Professional Midwives is similar to that for low risk women in hospital in the U.S., and the intervention rates are much lower. Additionally, higher prematurity is a serious concern for the care of women planning hospital births, because prematurity is associated with higher perinatal mortality and morbidity.

Session Objectives: 1. Identify the factors that predict poor adherence to recommended psychosocial intervention 2.Recognize the benefits of co-locating psychosocial interventions in prenatal clinics 3. to describe a model of incorporating HIV testing services into a home-based prenatal care program and to identify two potential challenges and benefits of initiating an in-home HIV testing program for pregnant women and their families 4. Identify three factors that must be considered when comparing home birth data with birth certificate data.