AEGiS-14IAC: Is the number of HIV-infections rising in the Valencia Community? Comparative analysis of HIV seroprevalence and risk practices in the patients that attended the AIDS Information and Prevention Centres (CIPS) for the first time in the years 1999 and 2000.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Is the number of HIV-infections rising in the Valencia Community? Comparative analysis of HIV seroprevalence and risk practices in the patients that attended the AIDS Information and Prevention Centres (CIPS) for the first time in the years 1999 and 2000.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. C10681)

Loscos JI, Rubio CS, Zapater TT, Gas JT, Belda Ibanez J, Salillas AF, Garcia EF, Padilla CA, Quintero RM
CIPS, Direccion General de Salud Publica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

BACKGROUND: Despite the fall in the number of new AIDS patients in recent years, there is uncertainty about the real evolution of new HIV-infections.

METHODS: Hypothesis: the prevalence of HIV-infections has increased between the years 1999 and 2000 in the patients that attended the 3 CIPS of the Valencia Community first time. The study population was the 2359 people who attended at first times the 3 CIPS in 1999 and the 2930 persons who attended in 2000. We calculated seroprevalence by means of the binomial test with confidence interval of 95%. To compare the two years, we used the Chi square test with significance level of p<0.05.

RESULTS: HIV-infection prevalence in 1999 was 3.60% (CI 95%, 2.89-4.44) and in 2000 it was 4.27% (CI 95%, 3.56-5.06). When we analyse the prevalence by risk practices, we find that in 1999 15.99% of the Injecting Drug Users (IDU) were HIV (+) and in 2000 they were 24.27% HIV (+) (p<0.05); that in 1999 the 5.58% of male homosexuals were HIV (+) and in 2000 they were 5.71% (p>0.05) and that if in 1999 the 1.52% of patients who attended because of heterosexual relations were HIV (+), in the 2000 they were 1.44% (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the rises of the seroprevalences are not statistically significant, except the IDU case, the break of the trend to the reduction, which was taking place until 1999, calls our attention. The heterosexual relations' transmission has fallen, but in women with unprotected heterosexual relations, prevalence has risen from 1.18% in 1999 to 1.61% in 2000 (p>0.05) so that in the year 2000 72% of the infections with origin in heterosexual relations appeared in women. On the other hand, the fact that drug consumption has been responsible for 66,4% of the infections by HIV in the 2000, makes it essential to reinforce the programs directed to diminish the risk of infection in these patients. Keywords: HIV, trends, seroprevalence, risk practices

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Seroprevalence, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Prevalence, Heterosexuality, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Time, Homosexuality, Human, Female, Male

020707
C10681