title: [Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus infection in foreigners residing in Elche, Spain (1998-2003)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the characteristics of HIV-infection in foreign patients residing in Elche, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective comparative analysis of clinical and epidemiological characteristics was performed to study HIV-infection in foreign immigrants, foreigners who were not immigrants and the native Spanish population between January 1998 and December 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 659 patients attended, 30 (4.6%) were foreign immigrants and 11 (1.7%) foreign non-immigrants. The percentage of affected immigrants increased during the study period from 1.6% to 9.8% (p < 0.001). There was a higher percentage of women in the immigrant group (36.7%) than in the foreign non-immigrant (27.3%) and native (18.4%) groups (p = 0.04). Mean age of the immigrants was lower than that of the foreign non-immigrants and native population (p = 0.02). Sexual transmission as a risk factor for acquiring HIV infection was higher in the immigrant (80%) group than in the foreign non-immigrant (27.3%) and native populations (14.7%), (p = 0.005). Antiretroviral treatment and mortality were similar in immigrant and non-immigrant patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The epidemiology of HIV infection in foreign patients was different from that observed in the native population, but access to antiretroviral treatment and mortality were similar.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain. jramosrincon@yahoo.es
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masiá
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escolano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology