Consent to HIV testing? Did you do this? - Page 5

[Kailey's mom]

I went ahead and let them test me, I've been with DH for 7 years so I wasn't worried.

[onelilguysmommy]

i consented, i have my erasons.

did anyone notice they draw the blood and THEN ask you if ou want the test? :sigh: and i had a very low blood volume as it was :
they also did the syphylis twice, once inpatient at the hospital cause the ob (who i havent seen, inve seen his mw) ordered it, then SHE ordereedd it to be done again last week when they rechecked my h&h and did a cbc as well. sheesh!!

[KatieMarie]

i declined the test.

[Aliviasmom]

I ALWAYS get tested for everything, because I've had a questionable past. :

[Thalia]

Originally Posted by Emma's_Mommy

i took the test because in NYS if the mother isn't tested during pregnancy they will test the baby in the hospital after birth and i didnt want my poor baby to get poked for nothing!

Sigh. It's the same in Illinois, or at least that's what the OB who did my m/c follow-up told me. I decided to go ahead and do it because I did not want my baby to be tested.

[LoveOhm]

Congratulations! I did it becuase even though I was in a relationship HIV is very serious... they take so much blood from you at prenatal visits you won't notice. And if for some god awful reason you do have it they can take extra care so your baby is protected.

(((HUGS)))

[MamaRabbit]

I'm in a totally different situation. High rates of it here, and even though I live low risk, you just never know, so I consent.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by LoveOhm

they take so much blood from you at prenatal visits you won't notice.

As I mentioned, I decline all testing. So they take no blood from me.

-Angela

[mommysusie]

I've consented everytime. The doctors I have went to won't treat you unless you consent.

[quirkylayne]

I consented because my OB asked me to have it. In the unlikely event that a hospital worker would come into contact with my blood I would want them to know for sure if I had HIV/AIDS. I guess it was a put myself in their shoes kind of thing. I had the regular prenatal panel done and they took it as part of that, so it was no extra work on my part and covered by my insurance.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by mommysusie

I've consented everytime. The doctors I have went to won't treat you unless you consent.

Wow. Wouldn't touch THOSE drs with a 10 foot pole....

-Angela

[k9sarchik]

I did not consent, originally, and then the Kaiser CNM told me that the baby would be tested at birth so I went ahead with the test. Figured it was no big deal because I knew it would be negative. Found out after the fact that the CNM lied to me. There is no such law to test newborns in Colorado.

Then I read that there is a chance of having a false positive when you are pregnant which happened to a woman in Denver. She was forced to take AZT anti AIDS drugs to prevent the baby from getting HIV. She later found out after the baby was born that she never had HIV.

Could you imagine having a positive? What horrible feelings you would have or how your DH may feel about you or future sex.

If you know your history and your Dh's history then don't bother.

Needless to say I have switched to a homebirth midwife now.

[Rico'sAlice]

Originally Posted by quirkylayne

I consented because my OB asked me to have it. In the unlikely event that a hospital worker would come into contact with my blood I would want them to know for sure if I had HIV/AIDS. I guess it was a put myself in their shoes kind of thing. I had the regular prenatal panel done and they took it as part of that, so it was no extra work on my part and covered by my insurance.

I thought healthcare workers were supposed to take "Universal Precautions" and assume that any and all blood they may come in contact with is potentially infected.

[rayo de sol]

I would never consent to being tested for anything--especially not for HIV. False positives are very common, and it would be unspeakably horrible to be forced to take medications for HIV while pregnant.

Also, some experts have asserted that there's no evidence that HIV causes AIDS. They say that HIV is just a harmless virus, and that AIDS is caused by drug use and other things that depress the immune system. Read this book for a very eye-opening explanation of the politics of AIDS: Inventing the AIDS Virus by Peter Deusberg.

[hey_baby]

I consented but I consent to every possible test that might be an indicator that I might need to take extra precautions to insure the safety and health of my baby. I didn't have any reason to think I might actually have HIV but I don't have any reason to think I'd be RH- either. I err on the side of absolute paranoia.

[Ackray]

Originally Posted by Rico'sAlice

I thought healthcare workers were supposed to take "Universal Precautions" and assume that any and all blood they may come in contact with is potentially infected.

Yes they are. However, accidents happen. I accidentally stuck myself with a patient needle years ago. I was being careful and following Universal Precautions. I had to be tested and retested and we had to have the patient consent to being tested to blood borne diseases. I wish I could wear a hazmat suit to work because aside from that needle stick, I've also been splashed with blood, vomit, amniotic fluid, spit, meconium, urine, sweat, breast milk... There's probably more grossness that I've touched and luckily usually just my clothes get it. Like I said, accidents happen.

I consented to the HIV test. I trust my own knowledge and I trust my doctor.

[terrabella]

As some others have said, yes and then no. With my first I was only a less than two years with his dad, so yeah, I thought it a good idea. And again with his brother, because we concieved when baby#1 was only six months old, and I had heard that it doesn't always show up early (???), but most recently, no I refused, because I *knew* I was safe. I avoid as much of these things as I can responsibly do.

[weliveintheforest]

I was tested my first pregnancy before I knew about the false positives... I wouldn't bother again.