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New Jersey to require HIV test for pregnant women

Infection Control Monitor, December 28, 2007

Physicians in New Jersey will soon test all pregnant women for HIV under a new law signed Wednesday.

The HIV test will become a routine part of prenatal care unless a woman specifically asks not to be tested, the Associated Press reported. The law also requires testing for newborns if the HIV status of the mother is positive or unknown.

New Jersey Governor Richard Codey said the law will significantly reduce the number of HIV infections to newborns. If an expectant mother tests positive, certain medications can reduce the risk that the baby will born with HIV. New Jersey is one of just a handful of states with laws requiring some form of prenatal testing. Arkansas, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas have similar testing policies.

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