A pregnant healthcare worker should be routinely screened for what?

• A. HIV
• B. HBsAg
• C. HCV
• D. Syphilis

Answer: (A)

Universal HIV screening during pregnancy is recommended because identifying HIV status early allows immediate treatment with antiretroviral therapy and appropriate obstetric and neonatal management to greatly reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission. When HIV is known, maternal health can be optimized and specific delivery and neonatal prophylaxis can be planned to protect the baby. This makes HIV testing a standard part of prenatal care, including for pregnant healthcare workers. While other infections like hepatitis B surface antigen and syphilis are also important to screen for in pregnancy in many settings, the strongest, most consistently emphasized routine screen among these options is HIV due to the substantial impact of timely treatment on reducing transmission to the newborn.