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Investigates the effectiveness of the British Department of Health's directive to make HIV antibody testing available to antenatal clinics. Cost of the directive; Need to provide specialized counselling to pregnant women.

The objective of this study was to audit an ante-natal HIV screening programme by observing the congruence of documentation of consent between case notes and request forms; correlation of testing with prior agreement to be tested; and recording documentation that the test had been offered but declined in women who were not tested. The design was one of retrospective case note review of 538 women drawn from an inner city teaching hospital. There was documentation of invitation to undergo HIV testing in 415 (77%) cases. Test documentation was absent in 123 (23%) cases which represent 37% of those for whom a test was not performed. HIV testing was performed in 205 (38%) cases. There was discrepancy between documentation of consent to testing on the laboratory request form and in the notes. Some blood specimens of women agreeing to be tested were apparently never received in the laboratory. Incomplete documentation and a low test uptake suggests a low acceptance. However, without adequate documentation it cannot be determined in those not tested whether the test was declined or whether the invitation was either never extended, or not implemented after acceptance. Audit of implementation and staff compliance should be established at the outset of any universal testing programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the article `Is HIV testing in antenatal clinics worthwhile? Can we afford it?' by I.L. Chrystie et al from the journal `AIDS Care.' Logistics needed in a government-sponsored HIV antibody testing in Great Britain; Role of the Department of Health; Long-range effects of antenatal testing.