Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §19203-A, sub-§6 is enacted to read:

6.__Pregnancy.__Written informed consent need not be obtained from a pregnant woman when a physician determines that HIV testing should be a routine component of prenatal care.__The physician shall give the patient the opportunity to decline testing and shall annotate the medical record regarding the patient's decision.__The counseling specified by section 19204-A is not required, but the physician shall counsel the patient on effective antiretroviral therapy for the patient's own health and to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to the patient's infant.

SUMMARY

This bill encourages HIV screening of pregnant women by allowing physicians to obtain oral consent to testing and to provide less extensive counseling about the test than required under current law.