Human immunodeficiency virus infection among heterosexuals in the northeastern part of Italy

A cross-sectional, seroprevalence study was conducted between1984 and 1991 to investigate prevalence and risk factors forhuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in heterosexualsin the northeastern part of Italy. Two hundred and eighty-twoheterosexuals self-referring for HIV testing (109 men and 173women), without history of intravenous drug use or of otherrisk factors for HIV infection, constituted the study group.The overall seroprevalence was 17% (95% confidence interval(Cl): 13–22%), similar in men (18%) and in women (17%),and it tended to increase over time. Age was directly associatedwith HIV antibody seropositivity in men, and inversely relatedin women. Fifteen men and 63 women were steady partners of anHIV-positive person. Among them, 33% of men and 27% of womenwere infected with HIV (odds ratio (OR)=2.8, 95% Cl: 0.7–11.4in men; OR=3.5, 95% Cl: 1.4–8.6 in women). Men with promiscuousoccasional partners had a nearly 3-fold higher risk of infection(95% Cl: 0.8–12.7). Among women, a significantly increasedrisk emerged among those who reported intravenous drug usersamong their occasional partners (OR=5.7). Sixty per cent ofmales and 76% of females never used a condom with occasionalpartners and 70% of males and 72% of females never used onewith steady partners.