Human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection among patients with sexually transmitted diseases in Bombay.

BACKGROUND

Patients with sexually transmitted diseases form a particularly vulnerable group for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), and serological surveillance is a sensitive tool for assessing the prevalence of this disease.

METHODS

We carried out a serological survey for the detection of antibody to HIV-1 among persons belonging to various high-risk groups in Bombay from 1987 to 1989. Among these were 599 patients with various sexually transmitted diseases.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients (5.2%) were found to be HIV-1 antibody seropositive by the ELISA and Western blot tests. An increase in HIV-1 antibody seropositivity among both the male and female patients with sexually transmitted diseases was detected from 1987 to 1989 and seropositivity was maximally associated with condylomata acuminata, genital herpes and chancroid.

CONCLUSION

HIV-1 is established in this sentinel population and needs to be controlled vigorously.