State records rise in pregnant women opting for HIV/AIDS test

The number of pregnant women opting for HIV/AIDS tests is increasing over the years.

The number of pregnant women opting for HIV/AIDS tests is increasing over the years. As per data,the six government hospitals attached with medical colleges in the state had tested 26,688 pregnant women for HIV/AIDS in 2007-2008; 34,265 women in 2008-2009; and 4,536 pregnant women in April and May this year.

According to state government figures,in 2007-08,of the 26,688 women,184 tested HIV positive,and 84 of the deliveries happened in government hospitals. Similarly,in 2008-2009,out of 34,265 women,212 tested HIV positive,of which 173 deliveries were conducted in the six hospitals. Again,for the months of April and May of the 2009-2010 period,42 women tested HIV positive out of which 30 deliveries happened in the hospitals.

The additional project director of Gujarat State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) said: The government has been putting immense effort in dealing with HIV related cases. If we compare last two years records,the number of tests of pregnant women has increased tremendously.

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Officials also said that the mishandling of the HIV positive woman in a Jamnagar hospital is an isolated case. The Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital in Jamnagar,where the incident had occurred,incidentally,has a fair record in handling such deliveries.

According to GSACS records,in the year 2008-2009,the hospital had conducted as many as 8,112 HIV tests on pregnant women,and out of 16 HIV positive pregnancies,14 deliveries happened in the hospital. For the two months of April and May of the year 2009-2010,over 1,300 tests have been done,and one delivery has happened in the hospital.

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