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HIV testing in pregnancy: are we testing enough?

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics volume 284, pages 357–360 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

The crucial first step in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is awareness of pregnant women of their HIV status. The aim of this study was to define the percentage of patients who received HIV tests between 2001 and 2007 in a German city hospital.

Materials and methods

In this retrospective cohort analysis at a University hospital in a German urban area, 12,873 deliveries were retrospectively analysed to determine whether an HIV test had been performed during prenatal counselling.

Results

The number of HIV tests performed increased significantly between 2001 and 2007 from 59.6 to 76.7%. On average, 69.9% of the analysed deliveries were tested for HIV.

Conclusions

Although awareness of the importance of HIV screening in newborns has increased in recent years, the numbers are still unsatisfactory. Therefore, further education is necessary to prevent HIV infection in early pregnancy and avoid HIV mother-to-child transmission.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mr. M. Feistle and Dr. Irene Alba-Alejandre for their assistance with the analysis.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors has financial, personal, political, intellectual or religious interests in publishing this article.

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Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Campus Innenstadt, Maistrasse 11, 80337, Munich, Germany

    Bernd Peter Kost, Andrea Gingelmaier, Franz Kainer, Klaus Friese & Ioannis Mylonas

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  1. Bernd Peter Kost
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  2. Andrea Gingelmaier
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  3. Franz Kainer
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  4. Klaus Friese
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  5. Ioannis Mylonas
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Correspondence to Ioannis Mylonas.

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Kost, B.P., Gingelmaier, A., Kainer, F. et al. HIV testing in pregnancy: are we testing enough?. Arch Gynecol Obstet 284, 357–360 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-010-1639-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-010-1639-2

Keywords

  • HIV
  • Testing
  • Recommendation
  • Pregnancy