By a measure signed into law by Acting Governor Richard Codey, pregnant women will be routinely tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It also requires testing of newborns whose mothers with positive or unknown HIV status. Although women will be allowed to opt out of the testing, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and some feminist groups contend that the law deprives women of the right to make their own medical decisions.Arkansas, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas require clinicians to test mothers for HIV, unless she asks not to be tested, while Connecticut, Illinois, and New York test all newborns, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
New Jersey has 17,600 AIDS cases. Women represent 32.4% of the cases, the third highest rate in the nation. The national average is 23.4%. According to the state health department, there were seven New Jersey infants born with HIV in 2005.
“We can significantly reduce the number of infections to newborns and help break down the stigma associated with the disease,” Codey stated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended voluntary HIV testing for all pregnant women. It states that medical intervention during pregnancy can cut mother-to-child transmission from 25% to 2% (Tom Hester, Jr., Associated Press 12/26/07).
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