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Subject:
From:
Anna Swisher <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 31 Jan 2001 09:02:32 -0600
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Sorry to clutter the list this am, but there are several bf-related articles
today.
Anna Swisher
Austin, TX


Perinatal HIV Transmission Knowledge Lacking in New Mothers

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WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jan 23 - A high proportion of new mothers do
not know that HIV can be transmitted through breast feeding and are unaware
that antiretroviral drugs can prevent perinatal HIV transmission, according
to findings published in the January issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"Our data suggest that future public health efforts need to educate women
about methods of preventing perinatal HIV transmission," Dr. Emmanuel B.
Walter, of Duke Children's Primary Care in Durham, North Carolina, and
colleagues write.

Dr. Walter's group conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1362 women 24 to 48
hours postpartum to determine their knowledge of perinatal HIV transmission
and their willingness to be tested. Overall, the women were a mean of 27.4
years old, 58.1% were married, 43.1% had a high school education or less,
and 47.2% had their prenatal care paid by the government.

The results of the survey, which was conducted in 1997 at seven hospitals in
North Carolina, Florida, New York, and Connecticut, revealed that 95% of
women were aware of perinatal HIV transmission. The authors note, however,
that "only 60% knew that HIV can be transmitted through breast-feeding and
only 51% knew of medication to prevent perinatal transmission."

Dr. Walter's team reports that 84.3% of the women surveyed believed all
pregnant women should be tested for HIV infection and 60.3% felt such
testing should be legally mandated. Yet, only 67.5% reported being tested
for HIV during the prenatal period.

The authors found that 20% of the women had "considerable distrust of
government and the scientific community regarding the HIV-AIDS epidemic."
However, mistrust and lack of knowledge did not appear to reduce prenatal
HIV test rates.

The authors conclude that women, especially those who have not completed
high school, require public health efforts to increase HIV knowledge and to
build trust with public health authorities.

Obstet Gynecol 2001;97:70-76.



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