14th International AIDS Conference Barcelona, Spain — July 7-12, 2002

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. C10659

BACKGROUND: The Melendez Hospital is located in one of the areas with the major burden of HIV infection in Argentina.The first HIV case was detected in this hospital in 1992. The purpose of this study is to assess the HIV epidemiological features in the last ten years.

METHODS: This is an epidemiological retrospective and descriptive study of HIV relative frequencies by sex, age groups and forms of transmission(TF), from January 1992 to December 2001. The clinical and laboratory records of all the patients tested, and positive (Western blot) detected at Melendez Hospital during this period were reviewed. Data was analyzed with Epi-Info 2000.

RESULTS: Out of 10,166 patients tested, 4.9% were HIV positive; females (F) 45.4%, males (M) 54.6%. M /F Ratio:1.2:1. TF: Injection drug use (IDU) 46.5%, Heterosexual 31.5%, Mother to child (MC) 14%, Homo-Bisexual 7.8%, Blood Transfusion (BT) 0.2%. Age groups: Newborns 9%, 1 to 9 years old 5.2%, 10 to 19- 9.3%, 20 to 29 - 52%, 30 to 39- 20.8%, 40 to 49- 2.8%, 50 to 59- 0.8%. Based on the epidemic profile modifications during the ten years, the findings were:The percentage of infected women increased from 29.7%(1992) to 47% (2001). The M/F ratio ranged between 2.3 and 0.75. The age group of 20 to 39 years old was the most affected in all the period. IDU was the prevalent form of transmission until the year 2000. The infection related with heterosexual transmission increased from year to year, and represented the major form of the last year (47%). The percentage of MC transmission continues in an inadmissible rate (11.8% in 2001). The homosexual transmission decreased from 30% (1992) to 3% (2001). Since 1993 no more cases related with BT have been detected.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data is comparable to the global HIV epidemic profile except for the high percentage of MC transmission detected. We have to intensify the HIV detection in young women and particularly reinforce the prevention programs in pregnant women.

Presenting author: Marisa Bernan

1Melendez Hospital-Infectious Diseases, 510#2073, La Plata-Buenos Aires, Argentina(1900), Argentina.

2Melendez Hospital-Laboratory, Adrogue, Argentina.

020708
C10659

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.