[HIV seroprevalence in patients seen at sexually-transmitted disease and family planning centers in Spain, 1995-1996. AIDS Programs of the Autonomic Communities and Network of sexually-transmitted disease, HIV and family planning centers].
BACKGROUND
The sexually-transmitted diseases (STD's) centers are good sentinels for monitoring the sexual transmitting of HIV. This study analyzes the results of voluntary HIV tests run in 1995 and 1996 within a network of STD, HIV and family planning centers in Spain.


METHODS
Starting as of 1995, a questionnaire was sent out yearly to said centers for recording the number of individuals found to have HIV the previous year and the number of those who are proven to be HIV positive. A calculation of HIV incidence was based as a function of sex and the main HIV transmission categories.


RESULTS
Eighty-one centers answered the survey in 1995, 78 having done so in 1996. Ninety-five percent of these centers ran the HIV test at the request of the interested parties. At the 39 centers which provided data regarding the HIV tests conducted in 1996, a total of 15,964 individuals had been tested. Positive: 4.8% (n = 760) (CI: 4.4%-5.1%). The HIV seroprevalence was higher for males (5.9%) than for females (2.6%; p, 0001). The highest HIV seroprevalence was found among injecting drug users (IDU's) (18.7%). On comparing HIV seroprevalence in 1995 with that of 1996, drops were detected in the number of homosexual/bisexual men from 7.4% to 6.1% (p = 0.049) and in women prostitutes, from 2.0% to 1.3% (p = 0.034). The Sexual partners of IDUs went from 3.4% to 4.6% (p = 0.267).


CONCLUSIONS
These results provide a nationwide reference regarding HIV incidence among populations having high-risk sexual relations. The trend therein is favorable among homosexual/bisexual men and female prostitutes.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006306:Health Surveys; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011477:Sex Work; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires