This week, the Congress approved in first reading a legal reform that, among other aspects, will force pregnant women to get tested for HIV.bThe initiative was included in a set of reforms to the General HIV Law, which received 42 votes in favor.
Currently, the examination is mandatory when a doctor considers it necessary, when a judge orders it for criminal or divorce proceedings, and in cases of organ or tissue donation. But with the reform, the test will have to be mandatory for pregnant women and they cannot refuse to have it done.
The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) already applies the exam as part of its protocols.
The bill will also allow nationals and migrant foreigners in conditions of poverty, destitution or those who have lost their jobs to have access to comprehensive care and HIV treatments, without interruption, for reasons of public health.