AIDS Transmission to Babies-1/31/05

What a wonderful story that HIV transmission to newborns is almost wiped out in the US. There is a drug, AZT, and there is voluntary testing of pregnant women. It shows what can be done when all levels of government put their minds to something. There is no downside to babies not growing up with HIV/AIDS or dying before their time.

Perhaps offering HIV tests as a prerequisite for a marriage license is another way to stem the spread of HIV. The couple, if one or both were infected, might discover it early enough for drug therapy to have optimal results. They could decide how to live with the disease or even whether marriage would be an option.