AustinBiz Facts for Austin Texas

New Law on HIV Testing focuses on pregnant women

A difference in the way Texas care for pregnant women sometimes costing some more innocent people in the state – newborns – their lives.

To remedy this, a part of a law that took effect this month requires that providers health care to pregnant women tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, at some time during the last three months of pregnancy unless the woman.

Mothers to be generally charged for the test, the cost varies depending on who does it. The costs must be covered by insurance or Medicaid, said Allison Lowery, a spokesman Department of State Health Services.

Before the law, the state required doctors and other health care providers to test pregnant women for HIV in the first prenatal visit and at birth. But because the HIV status of a woman can change during pregnancy, perhaps without her or her doctor to know when going to work, it might be too late.

Under the provisions of HB 1795, which came into force on January 1 women who test positive for HIV can begin to obtain antiretroviral drugs immediately to reduce the risk of infecting their babies. The baby is being treated at birth and during the next six weeks. Women who oppose the test can retire and receive information about who is anonymous testing. Physicians should also provide information to mothers about the risks of transmission.

Experts say the infection can occur during pregnancy and that women have more virus in their blood are considered have a higher risk of infecting their babies. In most cases, transmission is supposed to occur just before or during birth due to exposure to maternal blood. Detection Early physicians also allows time to plan the birth for a woman may need a caesarean section, depending on the amount of virus in their blood.

Without treatment, one in four pregnant women infected with HIV is transmitted the disease to her baby, according to data provided by the State Department services health. The treatment of women during pregnancy may reduce the risk of transmission of about 1 percent.

The number of women to transmit HIV children is low, around 100 to nearly 200 American babies a year, said Dr. Judy Levison, an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Baylor Medical. She hopes that laws like HB 1795 will cause the number closer to zero.

"No woman should be given without knowing their HIV status, said.

If a woman goes to hospital to give birth to a baby without a record status, the new law requires the hospital or HIV testing and results within six hours. Hope she can start antiretroviral therapy before delivery, and baby can receive the medication immediately after birth. This allows to reduce the risk baby infection by half, says Levison.

The hospitals were "a test that would take 24 to 48 hours back to u2026 or wait for a confirmation Western blot (test) back to take five days, and you lose the opportunity to treat women, "he said.

Some hospitals are struggling to meet the condition of execution of six hours for testing women who do not know their status, an official of San HealthCare David said.

Levison has worked with State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, on legislation in the Senate last year and is part of a consortium of HIV which is a manual to assist providers seek health care to HIV-positive pregnant women and their babies in the light of the new law.

"We believe this test will help save lives children, "said Lowery. It also brings in Texas, according recommendations for HIV testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2006, he said.

One of about 534 people were infected with HIV at birth and lived in Texas in late 2007, according to data compiled by the Department of State Health. Fifty-five percent of children who acquired AIDS from their mothers since the beginning of the epidemic in the years 1980 – 182 of 328 children – died in 2007.

Levison said he heard criticism of the law that makes a "big problem" in a problem that affects women only and no change of state HIV after being tested during the third quarter and going to the hospital to offer. Levinson acknowledged that small numbers of women who became infected during the last quarter but said the number is very low.

"In Houston, there is less of a (Woman) a year," he said.

Representatives of hospitals and clinics Central Texas generally in favor of the law, even though some of the concerns.

St. David's HealthCare, which operates five hospitals in central Texas offering babies, said that if there was a "major reason" behind the law, which affects a number of "patient ridiculously low" at St. David, and hospitals of the difficulty in obtaining results of HIV testing within six hours.

"We are in compliance with all sections of this Act, except for six hours in the lab results, "said Dr. Steve Berkowitz, chief medical officer of St. David. But that" does not affect the health of our mothers and babies. We are hearing from their colleagues in other health care systems that most hospitals are challenged to comply with this provision and others in the law. We work hard and each day closer to being in full compliance. "

Adriana Leyva, a spokeswoman for the Seton Family of Hospitals, which has six facilities that provide babies, "said the Seton hospitals do a rapid HIV test to comply with the law if there is no trace of a quarter and third test results in the window six hours to begin the process. Line supports the law, "he said.

CommUnityCare Travis County, the largest network of public clinics, said he started testing all pregnant patients in the third quarter a year ago due to the recommendations of the CDC. Since most of these patients are in Health Insurance Children for maternity care, "the cost of HIV testing is to simply include in your care," said Dr. David Vander Straten, Medical Director CommUnityCare. "We did not ask patients to pay for this test."

In the Austin Regional Clinic, patients are examined during the week 28 of pregnancy to comply with the law, authorities said. The clinic charges a fee of $ 39 for patients to get tested, and lab costs $ 113 for taking test, officials said, but insurance may cover the costs.

"While not active in lobbying for the law, we are very pleased to see that moms and babies will be protected, "said Dr. Norman Chenven, CEO and founder of the clinic.

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