Rethinking Mandatory HIV Testing During Pregnancy in Areas With High HIV Prevalence Rates

Ethical and Policy Issues

Bibliographic Data

ID11020774
AuthorsUdo Schuklenk (0000-0002-0061-4315, At the time of writing, Udo Schuklenk was with the Centre for Ethics in Public Policy and Corporate Governance, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland. Anita Kleinsmidt was with the Bioethics Division, Witwatersrand University Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, South Africa.), Anita Kleinsmidt (0000-0003-0125-7804, At the time of writing, Udo Schuklenk was with the Centre for Ethics in Public Policy and Corporate Governance, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland. Anita Kleinsmidt was with the Bioethics Division, Witwatersrand University Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, South Africa.)
Year2007
Volume97
Issue7
Pages1179-1183
Publication date2007-07-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2006.093526
PMID17538051
PMCIDPMC1913068
OpenAlexW2086185028
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited15

We analyzed the ethical and policy issues surrounding mandatory HIV testing of pregnant women in areas with high HIV prevalence rates. Through this analysis, we seek to demonstrate that a mandatory approach to testing and treatment has the potential to significantly reduce perinatal transmission of HIV and defend the view that mandatory testing is morally required if a number of conditions can be met. If such programs are to be introduced, continuing medical care, including highly active antiretroviral therapy, must be provided and pregnant women must have reasonable alternatives to compulsory testing and treatment. We propose that a liberal regime entailing abortion rights up to the point of fetal viability would satisfy these requirements. Pilot studies in the high-prevalence region of southern African countries should investigate the feasibility of this approach

Abortion · Antiretroviral therapy · Engineering ethics · Environmental health · Ethical issues · Family medicine · HIV screening · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) · Pregnancy · Viral load · Global Maternal and Child Health · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine

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