Prevalence of antibody to HTLV-III/LAV in a population attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic.

To determine whether HTLV-III/LAV is transmitted to men by heterosexual contact and whether contact with prostitutes plays a role in such transmission, a serosurvey was conducted in clinics for sexually transmitted diseases in New York City. Two hundred ninety-five male heterosexual nonusers of intravenous drugs were studied. Antibody to HTLV-III/LAV was found in sera from ten men (3.4%); this rate is approximately 15 times the prevalence found in healthy blood donors. Seropositivity was associated with serologic evidence of syphilis (odds ratio, 11.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-52) and hepatitis B infection (odds ratio, 9.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-55). Antibody to HTLV-III/LAV was not associated with self-reported exposure to prostitutes (odds ratio, 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-4.2). These findings suggest heterosexual transmission of HTLV-III/LAV to men but fail to implicate contact with prostitutes as a mode of such transmission.