title: Heterosexually acquired human immunodeficiency virus infection in women in Copenhagen: sexual behavior and other risk factors.
abstract: In order to describe the risk pattern including sexual behaviour among HIV-infected women in Copenhagen we studied the charts of all women tested seropositive between January 1985 and August 1988 in the three main hospitals handling HIV/AIDS. One hundred and fifteen women were positive for HIV antibodies: 35 (31%) were infected by heterosexual contact and 63 (55%) were intravenous drug users. Among the heterosexually transmitted cases 25 (71%) had intercourse with a man from a high risk group and nine women had intercourse with a known HIV antibody positive man without known risk factors. Use of condoms was claimed by 31% of the heterosexually-transmitted women before the HIV test, and by 74% (P = 0.002) after the test. In 1988 73% of the women tested HIV positive were infected by heterosexual contact, in 1985 only 14%. We conclude that among HIV infected women in Copenhagen heterosexual transmission is a problem. These women seem to change sexual behaviour when informed about HIV positivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kroon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerstoft
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kvinesdal
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Mathiesen
mesh_terms: D003275:Contraceptive Devices, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction