§ Mr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions the Government have drawn from the voluntary named HIV testing studies among pregnant women initiated by the Medical Research Council; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe results of the voluntary named testing studies in ante-natal clinics initiated by the Medical Research Council are being analysed. They will be published in the autumn.
§ Mr. StrangWhat is the Government's response to the vote at the annual general meeting of the British Medical Association in favour of routine provision of voluntary named testing for all women who attend ante-natal clinics? Does the Minister accept that if the Government are to implement such a desirable policy, they must first tackle the insurance companies, which ask people whether they have been tested and downgrade them for insurance purposes, regardless of whether the results were positive or negative?
§ Mrs. BottomleyYes. The recent results of anonymised testing are worrying: in many inner-city areas, there is a risk of about one in 200 pregnant women being HIV positive, while in rural areas the proportion is about one in 16,000.
As a result, we have set up the AIDS action group, which will focus work on areas where the prevalence is high. We want to build on that and we shall give careful consideration to the BMA resolution, which states that it should be easier for women to present themselves voluntarily for testing.
I entirely endorse what the hon. Gentleman said about the importance of the insurance aspect. We have made it clear that we feel that someone whose test has produced a negative result should be treated in the same way as someone who has not taken a test. Research is under way and we shall be making an announcement shortly.