(410 ILCS 335/10)
Sec. 10.
HIV counseling and offer of HIV testing required.
(a) Every health care professional who provides health care services to a pregnant woman shall, unless she has already been tested during the current pregnancy, provide the woman with HIV counseling, as described in subpart (d) of this Section, and shall test her for HIV unless she refuses. A refusal may be verbal or in writing. A health care professional shall provide the counseling and recommend the testing as early in the woman's pregnancy as possible. For women at continued risk of exposure to HIV infection in the judgment of the health care professional, a repeat test should be recommended late in pregnancy or at the time of labor and delivery. The counseling and testing or refusal of testing shall be documented in the woman's medical record.
(b) Every health care professional or facility that cares for a pregnant woman during labor or delivery shall, unless she has already been tested during the current pregnancy, provide the woman with HIV counseling, as described in subpart (d) of this Section, and HIV testing unless she refuses. A refusal may be verbal or in writing. The counseling and testing or refusal of testing shall be documented in the woman's medical record. The health care facility shall adopt a policy that provides that as soon as possible within medical standards after the infant's birth, the mother's HIV test result, if available, shall be noted in the newborn infant's medical record. It shall also be noted in the newborn infant's medical record if the mother's HIV test result is not available because she has not been tested or has declined testing. Any testing or test results shall be documented in accordance with the AIDS Confidentiality Act.
(c) Every health care professional or facility caring for a newborn infant shall, upon delivery or as soon as possible within medical standards after the infant's birth, provide counseling as described in subsection (d) of this Section to the parent or guardian of the infant and perform rapid HIV testing on the infant, when the HIV status of the infant's mother is unknown.
(d) The counseling required under this Section must be provided in accordance with the AIDS Confidentiality Act and must include the following:
(1) For the health of the pregnant woman, the
| voluntary nature of the testing, the benefits of HIV testing, including the prevention of transmission, and the requirement that HIV testing be performed unless she refuses and the methods by which she can refuse. | |
(2) The benefit of HIV testing for herself and the |
| newborn infant, including interventions to prevent HIV transmission. | |
(3) The side effects of interventions to prevent |
|
(4) The statutory confidentiality provisions that |
| relate to HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome ("AIDS") testing. | |
(5) The requirement for mandatory testing of the |
| newborn if the mother's HIV status is unknown at the time of delivery. | |
(6) An explanation of the test, including its |
| purpose, limitations, and the meaning of its results. | |
(7) An explanation of the procedures to be followed.
(8) The availability of additional or confirmatory |
| testing, if appropriate. Counseling may be provided in writing, verbally, or by video, electronic, or other means. The woman must be offered an opportunity to ask questions about testing and to decline testing for herself. | |
(e) All counseling and testing must be performed in |
| accordance with the standards set forth in the AIDS Confidentiality Act, including the informed consent provisions of Sections 4, 7, and 8 of that Act, with the exception of the requirement of consent for testing of newborn infants. | |
Consent for testing of a newborn infant shall be |
| presumed when a health care professional or health care facility seeks to perform a test on a newborn infant whose mother's HIV status is not known, provided that the counseling required under subsection (d) of this Section and the AIDS Confidentiality Act has taken place. | |
(f) The Illinois Department of Public Health shall adopt necessary rules to implement this Act by July 1, 2008.
(Source: P.A. 94‑910, eff. 6‑23‑06; 95‑702, eff. 6‑1‑08 .) |