|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State Rep. Josh Shapiro |
|
Shapiro bill intended to reduce HIV transmission, help save newborns' lives
ABINGTON, May 5 – State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, recently introduced a bill to reduce the transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, from a mother to her newborn baby.
Shapiro’s proposal would make HIV screening a routine part of prenatal care for pregnant women.
Under current state law, pregnant women receiving prenatal care are not required to be tested for HIV. There are many tests that are a routine part of prenatal care, but HIV screening is not required. Instead, written consent from the mother is required for an HIV test. That can be a problem if there isn’t time to get written consent, or if mothers are uneasy about opting in to a test. Studies show that pregnant women are more likely to get the test if they are allowed to opt out, rather than having to opt in. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend routine opt-out HIV screening for all pregnant women.
"We can save the lives of newborns in Pennsylvania by updating our prenatal testing requirements and bringing them into compliance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists," Shapiro said.
"I wholeheartedly support Representative Shapiro's efforts to pass a law requiring screening of pregnant mothers for HIV," said John J. Kelly, chief of staff, Abington Memorial Hospital. "If at all possible, Pennsylvania's newborns should not be subjected to avoidable transmission of this disease. Here's a case in medicine where we have the screening tools to prevent these tragedies, and we should."
According to the CDC, if a pregnant woman is found to be HIV-positive, she can undergo treatment and care that can reduce the rate of HIV transmission to 2 percent or less during the perinatal period, which includes pregnancy, labor, delivery and breastfeeding. Without treatment, there is a 25 percent chance of transferring the disease to the baby.
"With proper testing, we can basically prevent transmission from an HIV-infected mother to her baby," Shapiro said. "It’s critical that we update state law now."
Perinatal transmission is the most common route of HIV infection in children. The main risk factor and barrier to prevention of this transmission is a lack of awareness of HIV status among pregnant women. Studies show that more women are tested when HIV screening is included in the standard group of routine prenatal tests.
Shapiro is deputy speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and represents the 153rd Legislative District in Montgomery County. For more information, please visit www.pahouse.com/Shapiro.
###mds/2008/jma l:'print'releases'PrenatalHIVTesting.153
|
CONTACT: Diana Wogan |