Training and technical assistance to implement rapid HIV testing in the labor and delivery unit is conducted by Florida/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) faculty in collaboration with the Perinatal HIV Prevention Project at the USF Center for HIV Education and Research. This program targets hospital labor and delivery units and health care professionals throughout the state of Florida in an effort to increase the number of delivering hospitals that conduct routine rapid HIV screening on women who appear at delivery with an undocumented HIV test result after 27 weeks gestation.

The AETC will provide training and technical assistance on the subject of perinatal HIV transmission. The goal is to reduce the incidence of transmission by educating clinicians on the most advanced testing and treatment options currently available.

Scope of Services to be provided

This training will emphasize the most current treatment options for reducing perinatal HIV transmission. As a result of participation in this training participants will:

1.   Learn the virology of HIV including vertical transmission.
2.   Learn state laws related to HIV/STD testing and reporting in pregnancy.
3.   Evaluate patients for proper treatment.
4.   Recognize the importance of testing pregnant women for HIV and STDs.
5.   Be better able to apply knowledge of proper treatment for HIV positive women and exposed infants.
6.   Understand the importance of Rapid HIV Testing in labor and delivery units to further reduce mother to child transmission.

Be able to effectively implement a rapid testing protocol in their labor and delivery units.
The trainer will distribute perinatal HIV transmission prevention materials and educational tools that will assist in inplementing a rapid testing program within individual hospital settings.