In a significant move which would bolster the fight against AIDS, New Jersey has introduced a new bill which would make it compulsory for pregnant women and newborns to be tested for HIV. Senate President Richard J Codey introduced the legislation which says pregnant women would be twice tested, once during early pregnancy and again in the third trimester. Codey believes the bill would have far-reaching impact in the battle against the menace. He said The key in the fight against HIV and AIDS is early detection and treatment. For newborns this can be a lifesaving measure. The bill actually stems from a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which claimed mother-to-child HIV transmission could be dramatically reduced by medical treatment. The bill, however, received some sort of resistance from a Washington-based feminist group called the Center for Women Policy Studies, which felt mandatory HIV testing is actually a violation of a woman’s right to determine her own medical treatment. Codey’s bill will be heard in the coming weeks and it must get the approval from both the state Senate and Assembly and get signed by the governor before it becomes a law. Photo: njleg.state.nj.us