Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Assessment of incidence and risk factors for male to female HIV transmission.
Int Conf AIDS. 1991 Jun 16-21;7(1):20 (abstract no. M.C.4). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA7/1000491 Musicco M; Saracco A; Nicolosi A; Gervasoni C; Arici C; Angarano G; Vaccher E; Quirino T; Sinicco A; Turbessi G; et al; National Research Council of Italy, ITBA - Department of; Epidemiology, Milan, Italy
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional and prospective study of 524 women who were steady partners of HIV-infected men was carried out in order to assess the incidence and risk factors of man-to-woman sexual HIV. METHODS: The survey considered women, with no risk factors other than that of exposure to their sexual partner, recruited from 19 Italian HIV clinics between 1988-90. The women were interviewed and tested for HIV antibodies, and those who were seronegative were followed-up. The incidence of seroconversions was calculated by the person-years (PY) method. Odds ratios (OR), adjusted by multiple logistic regression, were used for the cross-sectional analysis, and crude relative risk (RR) in the follow-up analysis (95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated). RESULTS: The cross-sectional study revealed that 136 (26%) of the 524 women involved were HIV-positive. Women using condoms for all intercourse (OR=0.2; CI 0.0-0.7) and those using oral contraceptives (OR=0.4; CI 0.3-0.7) had less risk. Increased risk was associated with genital infection (OR-5.5; CI 2.9-10.4), anal intercourse (OR=1.8; CI 1.0-3.2) and a partner with AIDS (OR=2.5; CI 1.0-5.5). In the prospective part of the study, 171 (44%) of the seronegative women were followed-up for an average 13 months. No seroconversions occurred among the 26 women abstaining from sexual intercourse (N=26), although there were 6 seroconversions among remaining 145; giving an incidence rate of 3.6 per 100 PY. Increased risks were associated with anal intercourse (RR=4.9; CI 1.1-22.6) or an AIDS-affected partner (RR=4.5; CI 0.6-31.6). The use of condoms had a protective effect (RR=0.3; CI 0.1-1.5), and there were no seroconversions among the 19 women using oral contraceptives or the 5 women reporting genital infections. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of HIV infection among steady female partners of seropositive men is decreased in users of condoms or oral contraceptives, and greater in those who have genital infections, practice anal intercourse or have partner with AIDS. The direction of risk was the same in both the cross-sectional and the prospective study, although the latter was based on a small number of seroconversions and did not allow detailed study of all risk factors.
Keywords: Contraceptive Devices, Male Contraceptives, Oral Cross-Sectional Studies Female Human HIV Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*TRANSMISSION Male Risk Factors Sex Behavior Sexual Partners ABSTRACT 912130
M91C4065
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
