MATERNAL ACCEPTANCE OF VOLUNTARY HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS ANTIBODY TESTING DURING THE NEWBORN PERIOD WITH THE GUTHRIE CARD

In order to provide the opportunity for women delivering newborns to h ave human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing we piloted a hospital-b ased voluntary HIV testing program during the newborn period using the Guthrie card. During the study period 789 women were offered newborn HIV antibody testing. Test acceptance during the newborn period (61.0% ) was comparable to that reported for the prenatal period (60.6%). Ove rall 77.4% of women were tested in the newborn period or reported bein g tested in the prenatal period. Prenatal test acceptance best predict ed newborn HIV test acceptance (odds ratio, 3.37; 95% confidence inter val, 2.40 to 4.74). When compared to HIV testing during the newborn pe riod prenatal HIV testing is preferable because it enables the recogni tion of HIV infection early during pregnancy and allows the mother the option to elect zidovudine therapy and potentially prevent infection in her newborn. However, when prenatal HIV testing is not routinely ma de available or cannot be assured, women should be offered the opportu nity to be tested during the newborn period.