Improvement is needed in the documentation and HIV testing of children of HIV-positive women.

We assessed our unit's documentation of the HIV status of 146 identifiable existing children of 146 women audited, out of our total cohort of 329 HIV-positive women. For 23 women (16%) there was no documentation of the presence or absence of children. For 81 children of 43 (29%) women the HIV status was unknown. Of these children, at least eight (5.5%) reside in the UK and could be accessed for testing. It is essential that documentation and testing of children of HIV-positive women takes place to prevent potentially fatal late-stage presentations of AIDS and onward transmission of HIV as young people become sexually active.