Hiv Testing in Newborns

This article describes the ethical analysis of the essential neonatal HIV testing method promulgated by New York State. The law adopted an effort to reduce the spread of HIV mothers by treating babies born from HIV-positive mothers immediately after birth. After absolute positive reactions to HIV-infected pregnant women who received AZT in ACTG 076 clinical trials, legislation and the medical community promoted neonatal testing. The infection rate of pregnant women who received AZT was significantly lower than that of mothers who did not receive AZT.

It is now possible to diagnose HIV infection in newborns at an early stage. Today, antiretroviral therapy for infants is a standard treatment, and if a child is examined for HIV infection it is necessary to begin treatment. The current recommendation is to treat children not obviously infected, an antiretroviral drug from HIV-infected mother for 6 weeks to reduce the possibility of HIV infection. Women who are infected with HIV show a high infection rate in human papilloma virus (HPV). Cervical dysplasia is a precancerous lesion of the cervix caused by certain HPV strains. Cervical dysplasia of HIV-infected women tends to be more aggressive as women's immune system declines. This may lead to invasive cervical cancer as defined by AIDS. For women living with HIV, it is important to screen cervical cancer more frequently.

As the prevalence of HIV-positive women in the United States increases, the number of newborns infected with the human immunodeficiency virus has increased. Every year 7,000 HIV-positive women are pregnant, but 1,000 to 2,000 of them are estimated to be infected with HIV. This research focuses on the expansion of human immunodeficiency virus from mother to child, the benefits of drug intervention, and whether the HIV screening process for pregnant women should remain voluntary or essential.