title: High prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus in heterosexual persons attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Italy.
abstract: The prevalence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV-1) was determined in 924 outpatients attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic. The overall prevalence of anti-HIV-1 was 9%. Six of 14 intravenous drug addicts and 4 of 34 patients of African origin were anti-HIV-1 positive. In the other 876 patients, the anti-HIV prevalence was 6.6% in 467 heterosexual men, 5% in 261 heterosexual women and 22.3% in 148 homosexual or bisexual men. The prevalence of anti-HIV-1 in the heterosexual subjects was much higher than that expected in the general population and than that observed in patients attending sexually transmitted disease clinics in other developed countries. Intravenous drug abusers, who represent the most important group at risk for AIDS in Italy, could contribute to the spread of HIV infection through heterosexual contacts with persons without other known risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caprilli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentili
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stazi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rezza
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sernicola
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prignano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pasquini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens