Perinatal Infections Eliminated in New York State
We have added new content to the Prevention section of the Dashboard – historical information on perinatal infection in New York State.
In the 1980’s New York State had one of the highest rates of perinatal HIV transmission in the US. Since then, there has been major progress and in 2013, only two cases of perinatally acquired HIV infection were reported. New York State’s perinatal HIV infection rate has dropped more than 99% to 0.5% per 1,000 HIV exposed infants in 2013, a virtual elimination of perinatal HIV transmission as a public health threat.
Strategies for success include:
- Routine prenatal HIV testing for pregnant women
- Treatment for HIV-infected women and HIV-exposed newborns
- Avoidance of breastfeeding
Here is a link to an interesting article which discusses ways that New York’s success can serve as a model for other states as well as other countries.
