Getting tested for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B during the first prenatal visit — free prevention options available

3. Getting tested for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B during the first prenatal visit — free prevention options available

Cost: No cost involved; the maternal and infant transmission prevention program provides these tests at no charge.

In plain terms: During your very first prenatal checkup, you can get tested for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B at no personal expense. Even if results show a positive diagnosis, there are still effective ways to prevent transmission to your baby. The government offers free medication and treatment plans to block the spread of these infections from mother to child — this is known as maternal and infant transmission prevention.

Benefit: Maternal and infant transmission is how infections pass from a mother to her unborn or newborn child. The “Work Specifications for Preventing Maternal and Infant Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B (2020 Edition)” mandates that during early pregnancy or at the first prenatal visit, healthcare providers must share relevant information and “offer appropriate, standardized free testing” — meaning these three tests are completely free. Follow-up counseling and referrals are also provided based on test results. A positive diagnosis is not a dead end: Article 44 of the “Regulations on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control” guarantees free treatment and counseling for pregnant women living with HIV to prevent transmission to their babies. Article 43 further requires that such women receive services including transmission prevention, treatment, postpartum home visits, infant follow-ups, and testing. For mothers who test positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, newborns receive both hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin at birth (see Section 20, Item 2).

Evidence grade: A

Notes: Early testing is especially valuable for these three conditions, as both prevention and treatment require sufficient time to be effective. Article 3 of the “Regulations on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control” also states that “no entity or individual may discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS, AIDS patients, or their family members”; their legal rights related to marriage, employment, medical care, and education are fully protected by law. General prevention measures and routine testing are covered in Section 1, while post-exposure prophylaxis after high-risk behaviors is detailed in Section 13.

Sources: General Office of National Health Commission of China (NHC) (2020). Standards for preventing mother-to-child transmission of AIDS, syphilis and hepatitis B (2020 edition). <https://wjw.xinjiang.gov.cn/hfpc/zhgl6/202012/08b7de496f0b40e586d4b99d00cf79c4.shtml> (Reprinted by the Health Commission of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region); State Council of China (2006). Regulations on the Prevention and Control of AIDS (Articles 43, 44).