On Jul. 9, 2002, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported newborn HIV infection reductions of 80% since 1981.

The CDC study estimated that 280 to 370 infants were born infected with HIV in the United States in 2000. The figure represents a 79 percent to 84 percent decrease from the peak rate of infections in 1991, estimated at 1,760 infants.

Domestic and international trials have documented the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral therapy for preventing mother-to-child transmission. Risk of transmission ranges from two percent for mothers diagnosed before birth and receiving multidrug antiretroviral therapies to 25 percent for mothers diagnosed after giving birth with no preventive treatment.