BOCYF Projects

Perinatal Transmission of HIV

Publications: Reducing the Odds: Preventing Perinatal Transmission of HIV (1998)

In response to a congressional mandate to "conduct an evaluation of the extent to which State efforts have been effective in reducing the perinatal transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, and an analysis of the existing barriers to the further reduction in such transmission," the Board on Children, Youth, and Families and the Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention of the Institute of Medicine convened the Committee on Perinatal Transmission of HIV. The committee explored ways to increase prenatal testing, improve therapy for HIV-infected women and children, and generally reduce perinatal HIV infections. The committee also considered the ethical and public health issues associated with screening policies as prevention tools, and their implications for prevention and treatment opportunities for women and infants.

The committee consisted of 13 individuals, with expertise in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, preventive medicine, women's health, and other relevant medical specialties; social and behavioral sciences; public health practice; epidemiology; program evaluation; health services research; bioethics; and public health law. The committee met on five occasions between December 1997 and June 1998, sponsored two workshops, conducted five site visits, and commissioned a series of papers. The committee was aided in its work by a liaison panel of 19 individuals representing federal agencies, professional organizations, and other groups interested in and knowledgeable about perinatal transmission of HIV.

A report, Reducing the Odds: Preventing Perinatal Transmission of HIV in the United States, was released in October 1998.