Seroprevalence of HIV infection among pregnant women in the Veneto region (north-east Italy)

A heterogeneous population of 4396 consecutive pregnant women (86.6% indigenous, 13.4% immigrants) attending the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Padua (north-east Italy) were counselled and tested for HIV infection between September 1995 and December 1997. Sociodemographic and sanitary data were collected on each case. Anti-HIV prevalence was 0.57%. Intravenous drug use and foreign birth accounted for 28% and 24%, respectively, of the anti-HIV positive cases; 44% of the HIV-positive subjects reported no risk factors. In the logistic regression HIV positivity proved independently associated with intravenous drug use (adjusted OR 76.6), sexually transmitted diseases (adjusted OR 13.2), unmarried status (adjusted OR 4.8), birth outside the European Union (EU) (adjusted OR 3.1) and age (adjusted OR 1.1). Heterosexual HIV spread appears to be a major concern. The monitoring of trends in HIV infection among subgroups should be continued in order to control the AIDS epidemic appropriately both by promoting HIV counselling and individual care, and by watching for changes in the social background. Public Health (2000) 114, 477–479.