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. 2003 Mar-Apr;94(2):93-7.
doi: 10.1007/BF03404579.

Prenatal HIV testing in Ontario: knowledge, attitudes and practices of prenatal care providers in a province with low testing rates

Dale Guenter  1 , June Carroll, Janusz Kaczorowski, John Sellors
Affiliations

Prenatal HIV testing in Ontario: knowledge, attitudes and practices of prenatal care providers in a province with low testing rates

Dale Guenter et al. Can J Public Health. 2003 Mar-Apr.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: To describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of prenatal care providers in relation to prenatal HIV testing.

Methods: A stratified random sample of 784 family physicians, 200 obstetricians and 103 midwives providing prenatal care in 3 health planning regions in Ontario received a questionnaire.

Results: Response was 622/1087 (57%). Almost half of participants (43%) were not aware of Ontario's prenatal HIV testing policy. Eighty-five percent of participants reported that they offered or ordered HIV testing for all pregnant women. Sixty-six percent agreed that women should have a choice about whether to test or not, and midwives were more supportive of having an informed consent process than were physicians.

Conclusion: Knowledge about the risks and benefits of prenatal HIV testing needs to be improved, and standards for informed consent should be re-evaluated to achieve the most ethical process with the least complexity.

Objectif: Décrire les connaissances, les attitudes et les pratiques des fournisseurs de soins prénatals à l’égard du dépistage anténatal du VIH.

Méthode: Nous avons envoyé un questionnaire à un échantillon stratifié aléatoire de 784 médecins de famille, 200 obstétriciens et 103 sages-femmes offrant des soins prénatals dans trois régions de planification sanitaire de l’Ontario.

Résultats: Le taux de réponse était de 622/1 087 (57 %). Près de la moitié des participants (43 %) ne connaissaient pas la politique ontarienne de dépistage anténatal du VIH. Quatre-vingt-cinq p. cent ont indiqué qu’ils proposaient ou administraient un test de sérodiagnostic du VIH à toutes les femmes enceintes. Soixante-six p. cent convenaient que les femmes devraient avoir le choix de se faire tester ou non; les sages-femmes étaient plus favorables que les médecins à un processus de consentement éclairé.

Conclusion: La connaissance des risques et des avantages du dépistage anténatal du VIH doit être améliorée, et les normes de consentement éclairé devraient être réévaluées afin d’en arriver au processus le plus conforme à l’éthique et le moins complexe possible.

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Comment in

  • AIDS in 2003: moving forward, falling back.
    Spittal PM, Schechter MT. Spittal PM, et al. Can J Public Health. 2003 Mar-Apr;94(2):85-7. doi: 10.1007/BF03404577. Can J Public Health. 2003. PMID: 12675161 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

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