Texas law requires physicians or others permitted by law to attend a woman during pregnancy or at delivery to test her for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B at her first prenatal visit. She must be re-tested for syphilis and HIV during the third trimester, but not earlier than 28 weeks’ gestation. She must also be re-tested for syphilis and hepatitis B at delivery. If there is no record of HIV testing during third trimester, an expedited delivery HIV test must also be performed. Expedited HIV testing of infants at delivery is also required if a mother’s results are undetermined. To learn more, please read Syphilis, HIV, and Hepatitis B Testing and Pregnancy: State Requirements for Texas Clinicians.

Provider Resources

• Testing During Pregnancy – Statutory reference from Texas Health and Safety Code
• Informed Consent – Statutory reference from Texas Health and Safety Code
• General Consent – Statutory reference from Texas Health and Safety Code
• Counseling Required for Positive Test Results – Statutory reference from Texas Health and Safety Code
• DSHS Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program
• Congenital Syphilis in Texas – DSHS fact sheet (English)
• Partner Notification Information for Providers – DSHS provider brochure (English)
• Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) – CLIA information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Patient Resources

• 10 Questions About HIV, Syphilis, and Pregnancy (Patient information in English)
• 10 preguntas sobre el VIH, la sífilis y el embarazo (Patient information in Spanish)   
• 2-1-1 Texas – Find an HIV/STD service provider in Texas.
• HIVTest.org – HIV and STD testing resources.
• The Perinatal Hotline (888-448-8765) is a free 24-hour clinical consultation and advice on treating HIV-infected pregnant women and their infants. The hotline also provides guidance on test results.