HIV testing policies for pregnant women: A roundtable discussion.

The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Perinatal Transmission of HIV released its report in October 1998. Universal and routine HIV testing with the right of refusal for all pregnant women in the United States was recommended. This recommendation differed from the CDC guidelines in 1995 that recommended universal counseling but only voluntary testing for all pregnant women. Dr. Nancy Kass from the IOM committee and Dr. Howard Minkoff of the Maimonides Medical Center discuss the policy and its implications with Dr. Deborah Cotton, editor of AIDS Clinical Care and IOM committee member. Medical and social advantages of the policy are described, and steps are detailed for implementing IOM's recommendations.