Unlinked surveillance of the prevalence of HIV infection in antenatal patients in the West Midlands, England.
In the course of an unlinked, anonymous survey of anti-HIV seroprevalence among antenatal patients in the West Midlands, carried out between November 1986 and March 1990, seven out of 202,012 patient samples were anti-HIV seropositive. Although the numbers of women infected by heterosexual contact are still low in this region, it is likely that HIV infection is no longer limited to well-defined, male risk groups. It is therefore increasingly important to monitor the course of the epidemic through large-scale unbiased surveys of the heterosexual population in order to plan future preventive and health-care strategies.
West Midlands Regional Blood Transfusion Centre, Birmingham, England.
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Ala
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Smillie
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Nicholson
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Gough
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Duddin
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Knox
D000328:Adult; D003219:Confidentiality; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors