The unlinked anonymous HIV prevalence monitoring programme in England and Wales: preliminary results

Results are presented from unlinked anonymous HIV-1 testing of specimens collected during 1990 from 8996 genito-urinary medicine clinic attenders, 1421 injecting drug users, and 69,091 pregnant women. One-fifth of homo/bisexual men attending London genito-urinary medicine clinics were infected with HIV-1. The figure was 4% outside London. The prevalence of HIV-1 infection among male heterosexual attenders at genito-urinary medicine clinics who were not known to have injected drugs, was 1% in London and 0.2% outside London. Women attending genito-urinary medicine clinics in London, who were not known to have injected drugs had a prevalence of HIV-1 infection of 0.2% (1 in 440). None of 2045 women attending genito-urinary medicine clinics outside the Thames regions was found to be infected with HIV-1 although one woman was infected with HIV-2. The prevalence rate for HIV-1 infection in injecting drug users was 1.1%. Of those who began injecting between 1986 and 1990, however, 22% had evidence of hepatitis B infection. The prevalence of HIV-1 infection among pregnant women receiving antenatal care was 0.19% (1 in 515) in inner London, 0.07% (1 in 1440) in the rest of the Thames regions and 1 in 16,000 in another region of the country. Two pregnant women, one in inner London and one elsewhere in the Thames regions, were infected with HIV-2. The data suggest that, so far, the epidemic has concentrated among homo/bisexual males, injecting drug users and persons attending genito-urinary medicine clinics, especially in the London area. There are indications that the prevalence of HIV-1 infection is increasing among heterosexuals in inner London.