[Risk factors for infection among the patrons of an HIV Control Program, Antioquia, Colombia]

A review is presented of the characteristics of 432 users of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Control Program sponsored by the Public Health Departmental Laboratory of Antioquia, Colombia, who were seen between July 1988 and June 1989. The prevalence of seropositivity to HIV was 29.4%, while that of AIDS was 6.7%. Eight of the seropositive subjects were women. The average age on entrance into the Program was 28.7 +/- 7.9, and it was significantly higher among the seropositive subjects. The study sample was divided into four subgroups: women, bisexual men, homosexual men, and heterosexual men. In all the subgroups the prevalence of high-risk sexual practices was high and the percentage of condom utilization was low. Frequency of exposure to different risk factors, such as injections, transfusions of blood or other fluids, surgical interventions, tattoos, consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances, acupuncture, and sexual preference and practices, was determined. HIV seropositivity for the group as a whole was associated with sexual relations with infected persons (OR = 3.96), active anal coitus (OR = 3.81), sexual relations with men (OR = 3.69), passive anal coitus (OR = 3.35), and sexual relations abroad (OR = 2.24). In men, HIV seropositivity was associated with anal coitus (OR = 4.0), homosexual relations (OR = 3.96), sexual relations with infected persons (OR = 3.75), and sexual relations abroad (OR = 1.88); in women there was an association with intravenous drug use (chi 2 = 10.72) and with sexual relations abroad (OR = 12.67).