HIV testing for pregnant women: a rights-based analysis of changes in national policy Elizabeth King XVIII International AIDS Conference, Vienna, Austria July 22, 2010

What changes? Whose rights? HIV testing during pregnancy: new CDC policy, WHO/UNAIDS guidelines. Women may be put at risk for discrimination and violence when their HIV status becomes known. How are pregnant women’s rights protected under these new testing policies?

Key findings: what rights? Inconsistent language leads to ambiguous interpretation of “opt-out” procedures Less emphasis on pre-test counseling Emphasis is on the benefits, but little consideration of the potential risks from testing Consent– is it really an option? Women’s autonomy in this process? Refusal?

Implications: What comes next? Inclusion of training for counselors in the protocols Research to understand pregnant women’s perceptions of choice to test and right to decline a test Monitoring and evaluation, including field studies to understand how the new testing policies are implemented

Thank you UNC research team members: Suzanne Maman, Ali Groves, Matt Pierce, and Sarah Wyckoff This research was funded by the Law and Health Initiative of the Open Society Institute For more information see: aw/articles_publications/publications/hivtesti ng_