AEGiS-APPJ: Obtaining Informed Consent Prior to Prenatal HIV Testing: The Value of Persuasion and the Threat of Coercion

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Obtaining Informed Consent Prior to Prenatal HIV Testing: The Value of Persuasion and the Threat of Coercion

AIDS & Public Policy Journal 18, no. 3/4 (Fall/Winter 2003) 97-112.
Kristin Kelly

Since 1988, Connecticut hospitals have been legally required to perform HIV tests on any infant whose mother does not have a negative HIV test result documented in her medical chart. Connecticut is one of two states in the U.S. that has passed a mandatory newborn screening law, and is one of 31 states that requires prenatal healthcare providers to obtain informed consent from patients before conducting an HIV test. The author interviewed 244 prenatal patients in Connecticut, in public and private healthcare settings, regarding their experiences with testing and informed consent. She argues that mandatory prenatal screening laws have serious and negative implications for the status of informed consent, implications that should be weighed by states that are considering the adoption of similar laws.
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