Impact of round-the-clock, rapid oral fluid HIV testing of women in labor in rural India.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Testing pregnant women for HIV at the time of labor and delivery is the last opportunity for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) measures, particularly in settings where women do not receive adequate antenatal care. However, HIV testing and counseling of pregnant women in labor is a challenge, especially in resource-constrained settings. In India, many rural women present for delivery without any prior antenatal care. Those who do get antenatal care are not always tested for HIV, because of deficiencies in the provision of HIV testing and counseling services. In this context, we investigated the impact of introducing round-the-clock, rapid, point-of-care HIV testing and counseling in a busy labor ward at a tertiary care hospital in rural India.

Meth

SUBMITTER: Pai NP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2365974 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature