Question

Mrs. Lopez is a female patient who comes at 10 weeks of pregnancy for prenatal care. She has a history of sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea. You offer HIV testing, which the patient refuses, as a routine part of prenatal care. She returns at 14 weeks of pregnancy but is still refusing because of anxiety that she may be positive. You inform Mrs. Lopez that there are medications that can reduce transmission from mother to child to less than 2 percent. She persists in her refusal. What do you do?

A) Continue to educate and offer support for HIV testing.
B) Respect her decision and continue with prenatal care.
C) Report her refusal to the appropriate health authorities.
D) Refuse further prenatal care until she agrees to HIV testing.

Answer 1

When Mrs. Lopez refuses HIV testing during pregnancy, the appropriate action is to respect her decision, while continuing, to provide education and support regarding the importance and benefits of testing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ethical and professional response when a patient like Mrs. Lopez refuses HIV testing during pregnancy is to respect her decision and continue with prenatal care. This approach aligns with respecting patient autonomy and informed consent. However, the healthcare provider should still continue to educate and offer support for HIV testing, emphasizing the importance of early detection, the availability of antiretroviral medications to reduce mother-to-child transmission, and how these measures can improve health outcomes for both the patient and the infant.