Ethical issues in perinatal HIV

Perinatal HIV raises difficult ethical issues and value conflicts for practitioners, patients, and the public. Part I gives an overview of US infant HIV realities and the devastating worldwide HIV and tuberculosis pandemics. In part II, the major ethical issues regarding perinatal HIV including confidentiality, advance directives, US rights, and right to medical care where HIV exists. Also reviewed are quality of life and death, consideration of selective and more general problems associated with prenatal and neonatal screening, and pregnancy termination and postponement where perinatal HIV is likely.