Can a baby have the HIV test?
Yes, but the standard test used in most hospitals will not necessarily show whether the baby is infected. This is because the standard test is for HIV antibodies, whereas all babies born to mothers with HIV are born with HIV antibodies. Babies who are not infected lose their antibodies by the time they are about 18 months old. A test done only after the child is 18 months old will tell you his or her HIV status. However, with the very expensive PCR test most babies can be tested for HIV by the time they are three months old as this test looks for the presence of HIV itself, and not antibodies. The test is now available at all health facilities where the government has rolled out ARV. What is informed consent? What does it have to do with HIV? In legal terms, consent is two people agreeing on the same thing in the same sense. Consent has to be free. It is not free when it is obtained by coercion, mistake, misrepresentation, fraud or undue influence.
Ans: Yes, but it will not necessarily show whether the baby is infected. This is because the test is for HIV antibodies and all babies born to mothers with HIV are born with HIV antibodies. Babies who are not infected lose their antibodies by the time they are about 18 months old. However most babies can be diagnosed as either infected or uninfected by the time they are three months old by using a different test, called a PCR test. The PCR test is more sensitive than the HIV test, and is not used in the standard HIV testing of adults. It looks for the presence of HIV itself, not antibodies.
