one Test. Two Lives. HIV Screening for Prenatal Care

Since CDC began recommending routine HIV screening for all pregnant women in 1995, the estimated incidence of mother-to-child transmission has dropped by approximately 85 percent. However, mother-to-child HIV transmission continues in the United States in part because many pregnant women are still not being tested.

CDC's One Test. Two Lives. campaign gives healthcare providers tools to test pregnant women for HIV infection and help reduce the number of infants born with HIV.

CDC recommends HIV screening for all women as a standard part of prenatal care in order to identify and treat HIV in pregnant women and to prevent transmission of HIV to infants. Women who test positive for HIV and begin treatment early in their pregnancy reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to their baby to 2 percent. CDC's One Test. Two Lives. campaign gives obstetricians, nurse-midwives, and other providers tools to ensure that all of their patients have the opportunity to learn their HIV status as a routine part of prenatal care and to protect their newborns from HIV infection. Kevin Ault, MD, Associate Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University's School of Medicine and a consultant to the campaign, commented, "All pregnant women want the best for their children, and routine prenatal HIV testing is part of that equation."

Since CDC began recommending routine HIV screening for all pregnant women in 1995, the estimated incidence of mother-to-child transmission has dropped by approximately 85 percent. This decrease can be attributed to routine screening and the use of antiretroviral medications; however, mother-to-child HIV transmission does continue in the United States, in part because many pregnant women are still not being tested. Data suggest that in recent years roughly 35–40 percent of mothers who gave birth to HIV-infected infants were unaware of their infection prior to labor and delivery.