Sec. 19a-593. Testing of pregnant women and newborns. Notification and documentation requirements. Report to mother.

(a) Each health care provider giving prenatal care to pregnant women in this state shall inform her, or ascertain from the woman's medical record that such information has already been provided to her, that HIV testing is a part of routine prenatal care and shall inform her of the health benefits to herself and her newborn of being tested for HIV infection. Such information shall be conveyed along with the counseling required by section 19a-582. The health care provider shall inform the patient that HIV-related information is confidential pursuant to section 19a-583. If the patient provides informed consent to an HIV-related test consistent with section 19a-582, the health care provider responsible for HIV counseling under this section shall perform or arrange to have performed an HIV-related test and document the test result in the medical record.

(b) If, during the current pregnancy, an HIV-related test has not been documented in the patient's medical record at admission for delivery of the baby, then the health care provider responsible for the patient's care shall inform the pregnant woman as required under subsection (a) of this section and shall also inform her of the health benefits to herself and her newborn of being tested for HIV infection either before delivery or within twenty-four hours after delivery and, in the absence of specific written objection, shall cause such test to be administered.

(c) Any health care provider who administers an HIV-related test to a newborn under the provisions of this section, section 19a-55 or section 19a-90, shall report the results of such test to the mother of such newborn before the mother leaves the hospital or not later than forty-eight hours after the birth of such newborn, whichever is sooner. Such provider shall (1) refer any woman whose newborn tests positive for HIV infection to a human immunodeficiency virus case manager and an appropriate health care provider, and (2) provide such woman with a list of support services for persons with HIV infection and AIDS.

(P.A. 95-269, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2, S. 29; P.A. 16-87, S. 4.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2 deleted existing provisions requiring obstetrician-gynecologists to notify pregnant women of the availability of AIDS testing, added Subsec. (a) re information on HIV testing, performance of HIV testing and documentation of test results, and added Subsec. (b) re HIV information and testing at admission for delivery; P.A. 16-87 added Subsec. (c) re reporting HIV-related test results to mother of newborn, referral to case manager and health care provider and providing list of support services.

Notation

See Sec. 19a-55 re newborn infant health screening.

See Sec. 19a-90 re blood test of pregnant women.