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pros cons of prenatal testing
pros cons of prenatal testing
pros cons of prenatal testing
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Mandatory Prenatal HIV Testing
This particular journal researches prenatal HIV testing as it relates
to vertical transmission.
Randomized controlled studies involving HIV- positive pregnant women at various stages of pregnancy were monitored and evaluated in an effort to find conclusive reasoning for prenatal testing. Women of different income levels, educational and ethnic backgrounds were involved in these studies.
The AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 076 as well as following
randomized controlled trials were used in order to test whether prenatal testing was an effective means of preventing the vertical transmission of the HIV virus. Quick and relatively simple tests were performed in order to first determine whether pregnant mothers were HIV- positive. If the mother then tested seropositive, antiretroviral therapy was begun in an effort to reduce the perinatal transmission of the virus. Randomized trials performed in developing countries also tested whether early detection followed by antiretroviral therapy greatly reduced viral transmission.
The ACTG 076 showed that in cases involving prenatal HIV testing,
where the virus was discovered in the earlier stages of pregnancy, that treatment could lower the chance of transmission from 25 % to 8 %. Furthermore, since these findings were released along with the recommendation that prenatal testing be mandatory for all pregnant women the cases of perinatally transmitted AIDS reported in the United States have been cut in half.
AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 076 produced evidence that
mandatory prenatal testing would be effective, but it is plausible that the study itself could have been more effective.
The studies performed were statistically sound and le...
... middle of paper ...
...n. Prenatal testing offers a better opportunity to prevent the spread of HIV infection from mother to child than screening performed after the baby is born. This is because babies born to HIV- positive mothers who are treated prenatally and during delivery have an estimated 8 % chance of contracting the virus. A baby treated after delivery may benefit from the drug, but will likely remain infected.
Although the positives of mandatory testing appear quite evident in this journal, the benefits of mandatory HIV testing must be substantial and must be continually demonstrated before such a policy is implemented. The consequences must be considered and studied at great length in order to determine whether what I see as a good idea really is. After all, we are making a decision on behalf of an unborn child, a decision that could profoundly affect their entire life.
HIV-infected women in developing countries are faced with a difficult choice. Do they breastfeed their infant and potentially transmit the disease through breastmilk, or do they use supplemental feedings of expensive synthetic formula. Many women that desire to use supplemental feedings lack the financial means or necessary equipment to be able to provide adequate nutrition. There is the distinct risk that even if they are able to use supplemental formula unclean water could expose their child gastrointestinal infections or parasites. The official recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) is that if supplemental feeding is feasible and practical by the mother, then the mother should avoid breastfeeding. If supplemental feeding is not feasible, then the child should be exclusively breastfed for at least six months. Neither choice is a one hundred percent satisfactory solution, and ongoing research continues to argue the benefits of one method of feeding versus the other.
second, prenatal testing, is a testing of a fetus at risk for the disease. The
HIV travels through blood semen and vaginal fluids. When I say transmitted it mean as in a sexual, needle sharing, mother to child, doctor. Statistics states that 25% of babies born to be HIV-infected because the women are inflected with vines. So, this mean either the father gave the infection to the money because people shouldn’t wont their child to go back to take l’s. It very informative the you know that HIV travels in the blood. You could accidently be exposed to HIV because if you are a doctor or nurse seriously. You can also be infected with HIV by your spouse sperm who may have been infected. New born babies are infected with HIV through the breast milk of a mother that is infected with HIV. People don’t understand that as soon as you feel or believe it is something wrong with you go to doctor. Even if you are perfectly find but you are sexually active you need to get tested for any kind of infections. Because it better to be safe than sorry. Getting or having HIV is nothing to play with. There are some ways to prevent from getting HIV/AIDS. Such as protected sex because even though that person may say I don’t have any infections you don’t know that you can only that their word but just be on the safe side of things. Also by limiting the number of people you have sex with, because the more partners you have the more likely to be at least one that has HIV whose HIV is not controlled. Next doctor visit speak with your health care provider about pre-exposure prophylaxis. Prep is just an HIV prevention option for people who don’t have HIV but who are at high risk of becoming infected with
Spink, Gemma. "AIDS." AVERTing HIV and AIDS. 23 Dec 2009. Web. 11 Jan 2010. .
This paper presents an ethical analysis of the mandatory newborn HIV testing law enacted in New York State. The law was passed as an effort to decrease maternal transmission of HIV, by treating infants born to HIV positive mothers immediately after birth with AZT. Newborn testing was promoted by the legislative and medical community following the overwhelmingly positive response from HIV infected pregnant women who were given AZT in the ACTG 076 clinical trials. Pregnant mothers who were given AZT had a markedly lower transmission rate than mothers who had not received it. This paper examines this newborn testing policy from a Utilitarian perspective to ascertain if the goals of the policy are feasible. The potential advantages, as well as the failures of using this policy are discussed. Implementations to improve the policy are also presented.
Understanding HIV and how it can be transmitted is crucial when deciding if it is safe to adopt these children. The common ways for HIV to be transmitted is through sexual contact, pregnancy, injection drug use, occupational exposure and blood transfusion (U.S. Department of Health). HIV lives in blood and other body fluids such as semen, breast milk and vaginal fluids. Though unlikely, if vomit or nasal fluid had enough blood in it, it could infect a person if it came in direct contact with them (U.S. Department of Health). When ...
The federal initiative provides funding for prevention and support programs, research and statistical analysis of HIV/AIDS trends by region of the country (phac-aspc.gc.ca, 2012). The goals of the federal initiative are aimed at preventing the transmission and acquisition of HIV/AIDS, to slow the spread of the disease and improve the quality of life of those infected with disease (phac-aspc.gc.ca, 2012). The overall diagnosis of new HIV/AIDS has decreased in Canada between 1996 and 2012, with a high of 2729 new cases in 1996 and a low of 2062 new cases in 2012, which is an overall reduction of 667 new cases per year (phac-aspc.gc.ca, 2012).
Prenatal tests show the possibility of a child having a genetic disorder, such as Down Syndrome which leads many parents to choose abortion. When it comes to prenatal testing there are many different testing options. Screening tests for example, which are the first tests that are done on the fetus. During the first ten to thirteen weeks of a pregnancy, a woman can get a first trimester screening done. This is an ultrasound and maternal blood test that tests for the genes of Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18. In a first trimester screening, a result of 1/50 means a woman has a 2% chance of having a baby with a chromosome disorder (The Facts on Prenatal Testing). The next testing window is the fifteenth – twentieth week of pregnancy. This is a Quad screening and consists of a maternal blood test the looks for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 1, and neural tube defects in the fetus. In this test there is a 5% false positive rate (The Facts on Prenatal Testing). Lastly, in the screening test options is the anatomy ultrasound, which is done eighteenth-twenty-second weeks into pregnancy. This screening is an ultrasound that assesses for birth defects. Screening tests are non-invasive and therefore leave very few negative impacts on the fetus. The majority of this paper will focus on the more invasive tests, such as diagnostic tests.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are generally transmitted through sexual contact, during unprotected sexual intercourse, some are also transmitted from mother to child during antenatal, intranatal and postnatal period and through unsafe blood, blood products, donated organs or tissues and contaminated needles, their consequences are more devastating and prevalent among women than men.1
Kershaw, T. S., Magriples, U., Westdahl, C., Schindler-Rising, S., & Ickovics, J. (2009). Pregnancy as a Window of Opportunity for HIV Prevention. American Journal of Public Health, November 99: 2079-2086.
During the 1980s, efforts increased to alert the public to the dangers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy, yet these problems have increased. Adolescents and young adults have been especially hard hit. Pregnancy and birth rates among teenagers are at their highest levels in two decades.
Improvements to prenatal genetic testing occurs everyday, allowing for cheaper and less invasive tests that allow parents to understand if their child will have any deadly diseases. I have compiled six resources in which I summarize, assess, analyze, and reflect to support and defend my argument about the pros and cons of prenatal genetic testing.
Stoto, Michael A., Donna A. Almario, and Marie C. McCormick. Reducing the Odds: Preventing Perinatal Transmission of HIV in the United States. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 1999. Print.
There were roughly 2.1 million new HIV infections in the year of 2015 which, 150,000 of were among children. Some that have this disease , are not aware of it , and are harming themselves, newborns,and with others that are sexually active . HIV testing should be mandatory in the United States , because it is a comely known disease that is spreading with and without notice. It is very unhealthy for a person’s body and life. One’s who have this deadly disease do not think of others when they are getting prepared to engage in a sexual act. Most people get HIV because of unprotected sex ,or by sharing drug needles with someone who is infected with this disease. If HIV testing is mandatory , it will help many around the United States because
This paper discusses various arguments by the proponents and opponents of mandatory HIV testing in two scenarios.