Prenatal HIV testing approved
HIV testing will soon become part of routine prenatal care and be required for some newborns under a new law that supporters say is putting the state in the forefront of the national fight against HIV transmission to babies.
Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey signed the measure into law at University Hospital in Newark. The law will take effect in six months.
“We can significantly reduce the number of infections to newborns and help break down the stigma associated with the disease,” Codey said. “For newborns, early detection can be the ultimate lifesaving measure.”
Codey, acting governor while Gov. Jon Corzine is out of the country during the holidays, sponsored the bill in the Senate.
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