Objective: To assess the use of HIV testing "because of pregnancy".
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Patients: Parturients admitted to the obstetric divisions of a public hospital located in Rome (February-April 1994).
Intervention: Standardized interview during post test counseling. OUT-COMES: Frequency and characteristics of HIV testing "because of pregnancy" and women's know ledge on HIV sexual and vertical transmission.
Results: Among the 506 women admitted all consented to be tested and 3 were found HIV seropositive (0.6%). A total of 239 (47%) unselected parturients were interviewed; the remaining differ only for a lower rate of cesarean delivery (13% vs 54%). Of the interviewed, 140 (58%) had been already tested for HIV infection, 91 (38%) during the current pregnancy according to gynaecologist's prescription (79.87%) and without counseling (55.60%) or ascertained risk factors (82.90%); 40% had been tested after the first trimester of pregnancy. Rate of vertical transmission was estimated higher than 50% in 147 cases; 150 women knew the "window period" but less than half estimated it correctly.
Conclusions: The study showed a unsatisfactory use of HIV testing "because of pregnancy" and suggests the need for implementing in Italy information campaigns targeted both to women and gynecologists.