Interviews of individuals diagnosed as anti-human immunodeficiency virus-positive through the screening of blood donations in the Paris area to 1994: reflections on the selection of blood donors.
BACKGROUND
One of the aims of the medical interview routinely preceding each blood donation is the identification of individuals with a risk factor for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).


METHODS
Interviews were performed with individuals diagnosed as being seropositive for HIV through the systematic biologic screening of blood donations in the Paris area to establish, first, the circumstances allowing HIV-seropositive individuals to pass through the predonation medical interview and, second, the motivation of these individuals as blood donors. Risk factors of 30 HIV-infected donors identified between 1991 and 1994 were determined.


RESULTS
When asked whether they recognized the eventual risk to recipients of donated blood, 14 (47%) of 30 answered positively. Fifteen (50%) admitted having given their blood to determine their HIV status.


CONCLUSIONS
These individuals did not exclude themselves from blood donation and probably hid their risk factor(s) at the predonation interview in order to be accepted as blood donors.
Lefrere
J J
JJ
Institut National de Transfusion Sanguine, Hospital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France.
Elghouzzi
M H
MH
Salpetrier
J
J
Duc
A
A
Dupuy-Montbrun
M C
MC
D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010297:Paris; D012307:Risk Factors