ETHNIC-DIFFERENCES IN WOMEN WITH HIV-INFECTION IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND

Objective: To examine ethnic differences in the socio-epidemiological and clinical characteristics of a cohort of women with HIV infection i n Britain and Ireland. Design and methods: Analysis of baseline data ( ethnic group, sexual history, likely route of HIV infection, reasons f or HIV testing and first AIDS-defining disease) from 400 women with HI V infection recruited into a cohort study from 15 genitourinary medici ne/HIV clinics in Britain and Ireland. Results: Sixty-five per cent of women were white and 29% black African. Their median number of lifeti me sexual partners was seven and three, respectively (P< 0.001). Ninet y-three per cent of black African and 43% of white women were probably infected through sexual intercourse. Injecting drug use was the most likely route of infection in 55% of white women, but none of the black African women. Perceived risk (33%) or investigation of symptoms (26% ) were the most common reasons for HIV testing. Seven per cent of whit e women and 16% of black African women (P< 0.001) had AIDS when HIV in fection was diagnosed. The distribution of first AIDS-defining diagnos es differed (P= 0.001) by ethnic group. For white women, the most comm on disease was Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; for black African women it was pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusion: There are important differ ences between black African and white women in sexual history and rout e of transmission, disease stage at diagnosis and pattern of AIDS-defi ning diseases.